Will You Be My Valentine?
by Beczy
Summary: Valentine's Day is approaching, and it's the one holiday Lucy dreads. But this year, it might be different.  That's only the first chapter. In the second, exciting,suspensful, dystopian-esque things start happening.
1. Will You Be My Valentine?

You guys have already heard the disclaimer thousands of times. I am too lazy to type it, but it applies to me too XD

* * *

><p><strong>Will you be my Valentine?<strong>

There was one particular holiday that Lucy had not enjoyed in years: Valentine's Day. Every year she'd stand patiently beside her friends as they received frivolous gifts from their boyfriends. She'd become the packhorse for the friends with an endless list of admirers. But she had never once received a single rose or chocolate addressed simply to her.

"I'm better off alone," she told herself, staring into the mirror. "Boys are stupid. Particularly FTA boys."

She sighed and pulled her bag from the counter. Another day at school. Another day of listening to friends' boyfriend troubles and silly insecurities. Another day of being continuously reminded of her non-existent love life.

Lucy locked the door of her modest apartment behind her and ventured onto the street, novel in hand. Maybe she'd get lucky and escape into the library before any of her friends found her.

Fairy Tail Academy was a short walk from Lucy's apartment. It was one of the most renowned high schools in the district, both for the students' high academic achievements and their violent, destructive tendencies and scuffles with rival schools. But there was one thing in particular that had inspired Lucy to run away from home and apply at this prestigious school: they taught magic.

The government had outlawed magic a few years ago when they uncovered a plot being implemented by a dark guild with the objective of overthrowing them. Most people had grown to fear magic after the government released a series of horrifying propaganda tactics, but not everyone was fooled. A few people, like Lucy, were captivated by its mystery and power and wanted to learn how to control it. Fairy Tail was one of the few schools that continued to teach it, in secret of course.

Lucy smiled and pulled out her keys as she walked through the tall golden gates that marked the entrance of the school. These keys were the, well, keys to her magic. She had inherited them from her mother, who had passed away when Lucy was too young to remember her. Her mother had been a famous celestial spirit wizard. Lucy dreamed of living up to, or maybe even surpassing, Layla Heartfilia's reputation.

She could not wait until the afternoon, when the magic classes began. She loved her spirits. A sour thought crossed her mind as she looked at the keys. That stupid holiday was next week, on the day one of her first magic tournament. Aquarius wouldn't be available. Neither would Scorpio. She wondered how she'd place with two of her strongest spirits missing.

She shoved the keys back into their pouch.

_Stupid holiday. Nothing good ever comes from it._

* * *

><p>Natsu watched the blonde girl walk through the gates. He didn't know her very well, she had only started at FTA this year, but at that moment he wished he did. He was entranced by the way the her bright blonde hair danced in the slight breeze, how she was moving quickly with a clear purpose he could not discern, how she smiled lovingly at the keys in her hands.<p>

Natsu was still staring at her when the ball knocked him in the head.

"Hey!" he shouted across the lawn at Gray. "Can't you see I'm not paying attention? You should have waited."

"I called your name three times! It's not my fault you're practically deaf." Gray sauntered over and snatched the ball out of Natsu's hand. "Who're you admiring?"

Natsu didn't say anything. He knew Gray would tease him, even if he tried to explain his fascination.

Gray bent slightly to follow Natsu's former line of sight. "Is it that new blonde girl?" he asked. "The one rolling her eyes while Erza's talking to her quite animatedly? Wait, Erza looks angry." Gray turned to Jellal, the third member of their early morning games. "What have you done now?"

"I don't know," Jellal replied with a shrug. "Erza never tells me anything. I swear she expects me to read her mind." He rested his arm on Natsu's shoulder. "That blonde's not a bad choice, Natsu."

"Her name's Lucy," Natsu muttered, his cheeks becoming a shade of pink similar to that of his hair.

Gray smacked Natsu across the head. "We know that, dumbass. We've been in the same classes for a year." He shoved his hands in his pockets and smirked. "Either way, it looks like Lucy Heartfilia has an admirer. Are you going to confess your love? Will there be roses? Chocolates? Valentines? Steamy rooms? Or will you continue to gaze from afar with wistful eyes?"

"Hang on, go back a bit," Natsu said as he shoved Jellal from his shoulder. "Lucy's a Heartfilia?"

"You didn't know?" Jellal asked, shocked. "Don't you pay any attention at all?"

Natsu shook his head. Jellal and Gray shared a look.

"Poor girl," Gray said as the bell rang. He turned and walked toward the main building, loosening his tie. "She's got a flame-brained idiot drooling after her."

* * *

><p>Lucy sat at the end of the table, claiming the seat closest to the wall, and pulled out her novel. The day was only half over, but she'd already dealt with so many ridiculous problems.<p>

As soon as she'd arrived Erza had come running. She was angry that Jellal had said he was already busy on Valentine's when Erza asked him what he was doing. It had taken a long time to plant the seed in Erza's mind that Jellal may actually be planning something for her already (which Lucy knew for a fact because Jellal had asked her for advice). Erza had then run off to interrogate her mysterious boyfriend. Lucy used the opportunity to escape into the library, but had barely gotten to read a paragraph before the bell rang. Then in homeroom Levy had leapt on her, practically in tears.

"What am I going to do, Lucy?" Levy gasped, gripping Lucy's hands so tightly she was worried about her circulation. "I don't know what to get Gajeel! I don't even know if he wants to spend the day with me! I mean, what if he's only going out with me to be nice?"

Lucy gripped her friend's shoulders. "Levy, calm down. Gajeel doesn't strike me as the type of person to hang around someone he doesn't like. And how many times has he told you he loves you since you started going out?"

"One hundred and fifty five."

Lucy was speechless. "You actually counted?"

Levy blushed. "Umm…"

"That's beside the point," Lucy pushed on. "What matters is that you know he loves you, so why are you worrying? Everything will be fine, Levy." She pushed her friend in the direction of Gajeel, who was leaning against the window on the other side of the room, watching them intently. "Now go and talk to your boyfriend, he looks worried."

The questions hadn't stopped when classes began. For some reason people thought that she knew where all the good restaurants were and that she could get them discounts, simply because of her last name. They wanted advice on every single little aspect and she felt bad letting people down when she couldn't deliver.

She hoped that the sight of the open novel would deter people this break. Her friends had learnt very quickly not to disturb her when she was reading.

The cafeteria was louder than usual. The heavy rain pounded the windows and blocked the view. The sounds of people talking over each other filled the room, but Lucy blocked it out. She was lost in a wonderful imaginary world constructed by lyrical words. She barely looked up when someone slammed down a tray and sat next to her. Normally that seat was vacant. All the other seats around the table must have been taken.

Lucy was vaguely aware of the murmurs around her as her companions had a conversation.

"Luce. Lucy. _Lucy!_"

Someone tapped Lucy on the shoulder.

"What?" She looked around the table with a frown. She was at the climax of the story. Surely whatever was so important to interrupt her could wait.

"I don't think you've met Natsu and Gray properly yet," Erza told her. "I thought it was time you were introduced properly."

Lucy looked at the two boys sitting next to her. "Oh, yeah. I know you. You're in the magic class. I would learn your names but I couldn't give a crap at the moment." She leant forward to see past them. "Oh my gosh, Levy, you have to read this book. It's fantastic."

"Lend it to me when you finish it, then," Levy said, her words falling on deaf ears as Lucy turned back to her book.

"Is she always that rude?" Gray asked, crossing his arms.

"Only when she's reading or writing," Levy said, resting her head against Gajeel's arm. "But she is genuinely a nice. When you can get her away from her books. Which is rarely."

"Just like you," Gajeel muttered.

"What do you mean?" Levy asked, outraged.

"You've always got your nose in a book. It's impossible to tear you away from them."

Gray turned to Natsu and smirked, ignoring the couple's light hearted bickering. "It looks like you've got your work cut for you, hot head."

* * *

><p>"Do you think I should get her a big fish? Or something else?"<p>

Natsu smiled at his companion. He found Happy's determination to get Charle the perfect gift amusing.

"Does she even like fish?"

"I don't know," Happy groaned, turning in midair to face Natsu. "But how am I supposed to bring that up in casual conversation!"

"Maybe you could bring in a big fish tomorrow and offer her and Pantherlily some."

"Yeah… That's a great idea, Natsu!"

Natsu smiled as the cat flew off around the corner. His excitement was contagious. Happy had only just arrived at the academy. The flying Exceeds weren't allowed on the grounds during school hours because the normal human students might see them and talk. The government might overhear something send people to investigate. If they found even one piece of incriminating evidence the entire school would be locked down, all students, staff and anyone connected to them would be interrogated, and anyone suspected of practicing magic would be publicly executed as soon as it could be arranged. There had been thousands of deaths recorded in the past three years because of executions.

Natsu rounded the corner and saw Lucy standing in front of the door, franticly searching through her bag.

"Damn it," he heard her grumble. "The one day I don't pack it, it rains."

"What did you forget," Natsu asked as he approached her. She looked up at him with suspicious eyes. It didn't surprise him that she had forgotten their lunchtime meeting already.

"My umbrella," she said eventually.

"Are you on your way to the magic classes?" he asked. Lucy nodded. Natsu grinned. "Then you can share ours."

Happy chose that moment to fly from his hiding spot, making Lucy jump. He laughed and settled on Natsu's shoulder, opening the umbrella as they pushed through the door.

* * *

><p>Today was one of the rare days Lucy dreaded making her way to the magic classes. They were held in a secret room, the entrance of which was in the gym building, a fair walk away from the main building. And the path wasn't covered.<p>

Lucy hurried after the boy and blue cat with the umbrella. She didn't really have a choice if she wanted to stay dry. She'd have to share an umbrella with a stranger.

In order to stand under the umbrella, she had to press close to the pink haired boy. The rain had turned the air frigid and she could feel the heat radiating from his skin. As she breathed she caught a scent that reminded her of cold nights and winter fires at her old manor house. The memory wasn't as unpleasant as she'd thought it would be. Those nights had been filled with companionship. All the children in the house would sit before the fire, playing board games and listening to stories told by Granny, the elderly housekeeper/nanny. She realised it was one of the few things she missed about her old life.

They walked along in silence, listening to the rain drumming on the plastic above them. Lucy kept gazing at the mysterious boy as they walked. She knew she had seen him somewhere recently. His gaze flicked toward her. She looked away quickly and blushed.

"Did you finish you book?" he asked. So she knew she was reading a book, not that that was a big secret or anything, but it was a clue to his identity. Though it was a rather bad one.

Lucy considered his statement. If he was asking if she finished it, he must have seen her with it when she was nearing the end. She'd been reading her current novel, a large historical fantasy tome by her favourite author, for the past three days. He had to be referring to that. Almost finished would generally be thought of as the last third or so of the book. She had only reached that point last night, so she had to seen him today. But she hadn't met anyone new today…

"Oh!" she exclaimed. "You're the reason Erza interrupted me today when I was in the really suspenseful part of my book! Which I did finish just before."

The boy smiled and offered his hand. "Natsu Dragneel. It's nice to meet you while you're not reading."

"Lucy Heartfilia. It's a pleasure to meet you, too."

They continued walking. Natsu's sneakers were already soaked; he could feel his feet squelching in his shoes. He was glad he didn't have to wear them tomorrow; they'd take a long time to dry out.

"So, was the book good?" Natsu asked hesitantly. He wanted to ask different questions, ones that would allow him to get to know her better, but didn't want to seem probing. He thought she'd consider that annoying seeing as they only just met.

"It was fantastic, just what I expected from Zekua Melon. It is a shame that it was his last piece of work, though."

"Oh. That must be a shame. Did he retire?"

Lucy shook her head and smiled sadly. "He died. _Dear Kaby_ was the last thing he ever wrote and the best thing I've ever read. I'm surprised the government even let his son publish it, seeing it was all about his adventures in a magic guild when he was younger."

Natsu was about to respond, happy that this conversation was flowing and had yet to hit a dead end, when he was enveloped in cold rain. He stopped and held his hands out in front of him. They quickly filled with water. He looked now the path and saw Happy flying away, a livid Lucy running after him.

"Come back here, cat!" she growled, shaking her fist in Happy's direction. "I want that umbrella!"

Happy just cackled and flew back toward her. He circled above Lucy's head, just out of her reach, before taking off toward the building again. Natsu smiled at their antics and tightened his scarf, the one he never removed. He continued walking slowly. He was already soaked; more water wasn't going to make a difference. He just hoped Gray wouldn't use the opportunity to turn him into a human popsicle. Not that he needed water to do that, but the water would remind him of his magic and get his mind flowing.

* * *

><p>Lucy stood in the doorway of the underground classroom panting heavily. She knew her wet clothes were stuck to her body. She could feel the small clumps of hair stuck to her face and neck. Her classmates were framed by water droplets as she stared at them and they stared at her.<p>

"Lucy, what happened?" Erza asked.

She took a deep breath and force word out between gasps. "That stupid… cat… ran away… with the… umbrella… so I… ran after it… but it's disappeared."

Natsu arrived then. He pushed his way past Lucy with a polite, "excuse me," and headed toward his seat at the back of the room. She watched his back as he walked between the endless rows of desks. The transparent wet shirt was plastered to his back, sending her mind into all kind of heated fancies that were rather inappropriate for school.

Natsu paused in front of the desk and grabbed the neck of his shirt. Almost all the females in the room held their breath as he began drawing the shirt over his head. Lucy gaze followed the hem of the shirt as it slowly peeled away from his tanned skin. A perfect set of clearly defined washboard abs was exposed first. That alone was enough to quicken Lucy's heart. As the shirt slowly cleared his beautifully sculpted chest and shoulders she thought she was at high risk of a heart attack. And then the shirt was over his head and his wonderful arms were exposed to the world. His damp skin was glistening in the light, highlighting his extremely fit body. She watched, entranced, as droplets of water ran down the grooves between his delectable muscles. The only thing obstructing the view was the white scarf he always wore. Natsu removed it from his neck, but instead of hanging it over the back of his chair like he had done with the shirt, he twisted it around his head, the ends dangled down over his shoulders. The effect it had was not one Lucy would have expected and it only drove her already crazy hormones wilder.

Lucy cheeks were heating as she stared, trying to stop the appreciative smile that was teasing the corner of her lips. She found herself wishing that she could stand a circle made from those arms. She wanted to run her hands over that chest and those shoulders, to learn the definition that of body by heart, to be able to recognise it with her eyes closed.

She was amazed. Lucy understood what the feelings were, they had been explained in numerous books, but she couldn't believe she was feeling them when thinking about a _real life_ boy that she had only known for a matter of minutes.

"Come on, Lucy," someone said as they grabbed her hand, tugging her back into the tunnel. Lucy removed her gaze from the wonderful specimen of the male species and looked at the red head of her kidnapper. "You should get into some dry clothes before you catch a cold."

"But I don't have any dry clothes," Lucy protested as Erza dragged her into the changing room. Levy trailed after them, eager to gossip about the emotions she had just seen pass over Lucy's face.

"You can wear my uniform. I'll requip my spare." Erza pushed Lucy into one of the shower stalls, knowing her friend was feeling slightly self-conscious, and passed her a towel. "Now undress and dry yourself."

Lucy did as she was told. As she was drying herself Levy took up a relaxed position outside the stall.

"So, Lucy," she said, a teasing quality to her voice. "Were you liking the view before?"

"I don't know what you mean."

Levy scoffed. "Of course you do. You were staring at him for a long time."

"So were a lot of other girls," Lucy said adamantly.

"But your gaze was different to theirs," Erza added as she hung a piece of clothing over the door. Lucy took it and started redressing. "Any person could see that."

"So I guess we finally found a potential boyfriend for Lucy," Levy declared. "I think Natsu will suite Lucy nicely… If he can ever get her away from her books."

Lucy was pulling on the final article of clothing when she heard Levy begin to sing.

"Lucy and Natsu kissing in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes love then comes—"

Lucy yanked open the door of the stall, causing Levy to lose her balance. Whatever she had been about to sing, it wasn't 'marriage'. And who knew how much of her innocent mine had been sullied by Gajeel.

Erza laughed and helped the blue haired girl to her feet. "Calm down, Lucy. We're just having a little fun. It's makes us happy that you've finally developed a crush on someone that's not fictional."

"Plus," Levy said as she looped her free arm through Lucy's and made her way back into the hallway. "We want to know if you plan on experiencing your first ever pleasant Valentine's Day with this hunk you fancy."

"How can you be so sure it will be pleasant?" Lucy asked.

"Because I'm psychic!"

Erza smiled. "And we talked to Cana before."

* * *

><p>Natsu watched the three girls stumble back into the room. They were hunched over, laughing at something. Lucy looked up, smiling brightly, and caught his eye. He felt his lips lifting automatically as his day brightened. He forgot all about the dreary weather and the other girls whose eyes were crawling all over him. The only thing that existed in that moment was her and he desperately wished he could keep it that way for longer. But the moment was soon over. Levy leant forward and whispered something in Lucy's ear. Lucy's cheeks reddened and she tore her gaze away, slamming a hand over her friend's mouth.<p>

"Well that was intense," Gray muttered crossing his arms over his suddenly bare chest. "You two just shared one of those 'we-only-have-each-other' gazes, didn't you? You better ask her out soon, man, before Loke does. He's been talking about her a lot lately, and he's one of her spirits."

Natsu ignored him. He didn't think he'd known her long enough to bring up dating. "Where'd your shirt go?"

"Hey, don't look at me like that. Clothing is stifling. Just be happy I kept it on this long and I'm still wearing pants."

"No you're not."

"What?"

Natsu rolled his eyes as Gray pulled his discarded clothing back on. His friend's stripping habit was ridiculous and always seemed to reappear at the most inappropriate times, like in the middle of a fight. But Gray had stripped so many times that it barely inhibited his ability to fight.

Lucy was settling in her seat in the front row, sandwiched between Erza and Levy. Natsu stared at the back of her head, wondering what he could do to spend more time with her. Gray was right, if he didn't do something soon Loke would make some sort of move and he would regret his idleness.

"What should I do?" he murmured to himself.

"I don't know," Gray said, feeling the need to deliver what he thought was useful advice. "Maybe you could do what they do in all those movies and books. That seems to work."

"What do they do in the movies?"

"Ravish the girls or something? I don't know. I don't watch romance movies. Ask one of the girls."

"That's the worst advice I've ever received."

"What do you mean? It's fantastic advice."

"Yeah, right. Because the movies reflect real life so well. You have such a thick head."

"Says the guy who didn't know his classmate's last name."

"Yeah, well I bet I still know more than you, stripper."

"Keep talking, hot head. We'll see how much you know."

Natsu leapt from his chair then, his fist flying toward Gray's face. This scenario was nothing new. In fact it was almost a daily occurrence.

As they were throwing fists and lame insults at each other Elfman leapt up and delivered his, "those are cowardly insults. Fight like men!" line, and was promptly knocked out as Natsu and Gray coordinated their strikes toward him. Elfman collided with someone as he flew backward. This caused offense and the scale of the fight escalated. By the time Makarov, the headmaster of FTA and master of the underground Fairy Tail guild, tapped his staff on the front the room looked like it had been the target of Etherion.

"Stop fighting and sit down," Makarov told them sternly. "I have some horrible news to deliver. Mira and Charle are forcing me to make you write a report. Apparently written work is part of learning, and if I don't give you this task they will hurt me."

There was a collective groan was released as the brawling students righted their desks and took a seat. Natsu and Gray shared one final glare before following suit.

"Thank you," Makarov said once everyone was settled. "Now, because I didn't really listen when they were explaining this whole thing to me, Mira can explain the assignment to you."

The white haired teaching assistant rolled her eyes and stepped forward.

"You'll be working in pairs that will be drawn from a hat," she began, and to be honest that's all Natsu heard. As soon as he heard 'pairs' his mind jumped to the possibility of being paired with Lucy and what it could lead to.

Gray stared at his friend and shook his head. Natsu was long gone. And now he had no one to talk to. Jellal and Gajeel were at the other end of the room with their girlfriends. Maybe he should find one of them soon…

Nah. He didn't need one. From what he'd seen they were too much of a hassle.

* * *

><p>Lucy gripped the edge of her desk tightly as Mira continued to pull names out of the striped hat. Erza and Levy's names had already been called. They only had the weekend to complete the report and she was beginning to worry that she'd be paired with someone who wouldn't pull their weight. That would be troublesome. It would also be a pain if they didn't get along. They were going to spend a lot of time with each other over the next to days, getting to know the other's magic.<p>

She did not dare turn around as more and more people were called. She did not want to see who was left. She would accept whoever her partner turned out to be and write a brilliant report on their magic. It was simple, really. Why was she so worried?

"Lucy Heartfilia."

She stood up, hands clasped before her, waiting for the next name.

"Your partner will be…" Mira put her hand back in the hats and swirled the names around. It felt like eons had passed before she pulled it back out, another slip of paper in her hand.

"Natsu Dragneel."

Lucy's heart soared. Someone she knew! And someone she wouldn't mind getting to know better.

She turned and smiled at him to find he was already grinning at her. Lucy felt her heart beat strongly in her chest. She wanted to see that smile more often.

"You two can leave and start gathering information on each others magic." Mira said. Lucy noticed that she was smiling strangely and couldn't help but feel she was up to something. Erza had spoken to her before the names were drawn.

Lucy led the way into the hallway. "Where do you want to go?"

"I don't really care," Natsu said from behind her. "But, uh, could you tell me what this report is on?"

Lucy sighed and began explaining, her hopes slightly dashed as she realised might not be one to pull his weight.

But she was still glad he was her partner.

* * *

><p>The weekend passed quickly for Lucy. She had agreed to meet Natsu and Happy at their house to begin work on the report, but they hadn't stayed there. They traveled all over Magnolia; Natsu's impulsive nature wouldn't let them stay in one place for more than a few hours.<p>

The few times they did settle down, whether it was to rest, or eat, or breathe, they discussed their magic.

"You were taught magic by a _dragon_?" Lucy exclaimed. She slapped her hand over her mouth, afraid she'd said it too loudly.

The dragonslayer nodded and went on to explain his life with Igneel. His life fascinated Lucy; it was so much more exciting than hers. Her childhood had been spent in a stuffy old manor and she had learnt magic by reading the old leather books her mother's friend had given her. She loved those books now, but her ten-year-old self thought they were the most boring things on the planet.

She was lying in bed on the Sunday night, laughing at their antics from that afternoon. Natsu and Happy had led her into the depths of the forest outside Magnolia so they could demonstrate their magic. Natsu had almost started a forest fire and Lucy had summoned Aquarius to put it out. They were both swept away by her tidal wave and slammed against a tree. Lucy was going to have bruises for a long time. The experience had been worth it though. Natsu's magic was insanely powerful. She had never seen anything like it. She couldn't wait to write about it…

She sat up suddenly. The report! She hadn't written anything yet and it was due tomorrow. She frantically searched for her laptop and cringed at the time when she opened it. She was not going to be a very sociable person in the morning.

* * *

><p>"Have you found anything yet? We've been wandering around for almost three hours, surely it can't take that much longer."<p>

"Lucy, shut up and read," Levy told her. "Or look for a gift for Natsu."

"And why would I do that?"

"Because you _liiiike _him," she said with a laugh. Levy was enjoying her friend's discomfort.

Lucy ignored her and turned to stare into another shop window. Levy had dragged Lucy on this last minute shopping to help search for gift for Gajeel after she discovered he already owned what she had gotten him. Though Lucy thought there was another hidden purpose, one that involved teasing her about her feelings and trying to con her into buying something to give to a certain someone on that ridiculous holiday.

"I'm just pointing out my observations," Levy continued. "Which are honestly quite obvious to everyone. You two have certainly been spending a lot of time together lately. You both end up blushing awkwardly a lot, too. It really is the beginnings of romance. You should just ask him out already." Levy leant in close to whisper in Lucy's ear, "You know you want to."

Lucy pushed Levy away and hurried into the nearest store. It didn't appear to be anything special on the outside, but inside was a treasure trove.

"Levy," she said as her friend walked through the door. "I think we'll find something here."

The walls were lined with fake magic relics and lots of other strange objects. But the overwhelming theme was dragons. Lucy wondered how the owner had managed to keep the business running. Hundreds of stores had been closed down simply because they had a good luck charm above their door.

Lucy browsed as Levy dug through piles of stuff, exclaiming whenever she found something suitable. She found a small chest full of silver celestial spirit keys. She considered buying one, Plue could use another companion. But that thought was forgotten when she glanced up and met the eyes of a dragon.

Levy ambled over as Lucy placed the statue on the counter and handed over the appropriate amount of jewels.

"I knew you'd get something for him," she said.

"Shut up." Lucy picked up the red dragon. She had known as soon as she'd seen it that she had to give it to Natsu. It reminded her of his tales of Igneel. She hoped he would like it. She wondered if could gather the courage to give it to him.

* * *

><p>Lucy tugged the strap of her heavy bag back onto her shoulder. She was on her way to the tournament. She wasn't entirely looking forward to it. She had a feeling there was going to be a mass of lovesick couples in there. But she really did want to watch the fights and see everyone's magic.<p>

The bag thumped against her leg again, reminding her of its contents and who she'd be seeing at the tournament. Lucy cursed herself as she felt the butterflies stir in her stomach. Why was she so nervous? It was just a gift. Friends could give each other presents on Valentine's Day without it meaning anything, right? But what if she did want it to mean something?

Lucy shook her head. Feelings were stupid. She secretly found herself wishing that she wouldn't see him today. Then she wouldn't have to face the fact that she actually wanted it to mean something and there was a chance he'd turn her down.

"Lucy!"

She stopped and turned. Natsu was running toward her, his large grin lighting up the entire area. She swallowed hard.

"N-Natsu," she stumbles, reaching into her bag. "I have something for you."

"What could you possibly—"

"Here," she shoved it into his arms and looked away quickly. She didn't want to watch him open it.

"Thanks," he said, placing it carefully on the ground. "I want to ask you something."

Lucy didn't hear that last part. She was staring at the present, the one she'd spent many painful hours wrapping perfectly, which was sitting on the ground.

"You aren't going to open it?"

"Not right now," he said, not looking at her. He was rummaging through his bag. "I have something really important to ask you."

"I just gave you a present, and you're not going to open it?"

"Not right now, no."

"But it took so long to wrap…"

"Oh, Lucy," he groaned before taking her head in his hands and pulling her towards him. Their lips met only briefly, but it was enough to take her breath away. "Does it really matter?" he asked.

"Uh, well, not really." Her mind was still reeling, incapable of producing a coherent string of thought. "What was it you wanted to ask me?"

He removed his hands and reached into his bag, pulling out a pile of books with a bright red rose resting on top.

"Will you be my valentine?"

**The End**

…_Or is it?_

* * *

><p>And there we have it, folks. My second ever one shot. Except this one is a one shot that has a chance of turning into an ongoing story. We'll see if the plot bunnies come to visit in the middle of the night again. It'll be interesting if they do, I'll be writing two completely different ongoing Fairy Tail fics at the same time...<p>

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it XD Please don't hesitate to tell me what you think.

~Beczy

*** Guys, the plot bunny came big time. There will be more. I'm writing the next chapter as we speak XD


	2. Too Late

I just wrote a whole heap of stuff here, but when I went to save it, FFN goes "hahaha, no," and I lost it all.

Let's start again, shall we.

As you can see, I finally finished writing chapter 2 of my baby, which I fondly call Valentine. There is not as much Nalu in this chapter, in my opinion, but we do get to see some Jerza moments. Kind of. I also started expanding on the dystopian-esque themes of the world. Actually, now that I think of it, not really. That will start soon XD

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. I don't even know if any of you are reading this. I'll let you enjoy reading this. Please let me know your thoughts, whatever they may be.

And I will end with the usual disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail. At all. If I did, chances are NaLu would be canon already.

And now, enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Too Late<strong>

It was strangely hot that night. Lucy couldn't seem to get into a comfortable position either; something seemed to be pressing against her stomach. She also felt that she did not have as much room to stretch as she normally did. After a few hours of tossing and turning, Lucy shoved her blankets away angrily, thinking they were the cause of the mysterious weight. When it failed to disappear, she started pushing at it, but the stubborn, fleshy thing refused to move. Instead it tightened and pulled her against what she had believed was the wall. But walls were not usually warm. Nor did they yield easily when you applied pressure.

"Stop moving," a deep voice said. The 'wall' rumbled against her back. "And get some sleep already."

Lucy was shocked into stillness. It talked. It could talk. It was a human. A _male_ human.

She had never scrambled out of her own bed so fast. She blindly reached for the lamp on her nightstand. She swung around, the lamp extended as if it was a bat.

"Lucy!"

The lamp was torn from her hands. Her assailant grabbed her wrists and pulled her onto the bed. She landed on her back. She aimed a punch toward him, but he blocked it and restrained her arms above her head. He was straddling her waist. She could not move her legs high enough to knee him. She could not escape.

"Lucy, calm down," the voice said in a firm tone. "It's just me. You're overreacting."

As her eyes adjusted to the night she began to recognise the face above her. The light hair, the gleaming eyes, and the brilliant grin she knew better than her own. "Natsu."

"Yep. It took you long enough to figure it out. I don't think I like waking up to see a lamp being swung toward me. I hope that doesn't happen next time."

"Why are you still here?" she asked. "And why were you in my bed?"

"Because I wanted to sleep?" He sounded scared, as if he wasn't sure this was an acceptable reason. Which Lucy definitely thought it wasn't.

"You could have just gone home!"

"But your bed is closer. And it's comfier."

"You still could have gone home! It's not like your house is that far away. And you didn't have to crawl into bed with me. What if someone walked in and saw us?"

"Who cares," he said, releasing her arms and picking up a piece of her hair, twirling it around his finger.

"I do. There would be so many rumours, Natsu. And I've seen how horrible rumours can be." Particularly with a last name like hers. That kind of trashy gossip spread quickly, and it was not something she wanted to reach her father's ears.

Lucy crossed her arms and glared at her boyfriend as another thought occurred to her. "How did I end up in my bed?" The last thing she remembered was leaning against Natsu as they watched some horrible romantic comedy on TV. She was still dressed in the same clothes.

Natsu leaned forward, resting his hands on either side of her head. "You fell asleep, and the movie was boring as hell without you making sarcastic comments, so I turned it off and carried you here. And then I got tired watching you sleep, so I thought I'd have a nap too."

"I see. And that's all you did?" He nodded. "Really?" she pouted.

"Like I'd tell you if I thought about anything else. I can't ruin your innocence."

"My innocence was ruined years ago when my maid handed me some raunchy novel to read because no one wanted to explain the birds and the bees to me."

Natsu hid his mouth in his arm as he chuckled. "Of course you learnt about that from a book. Don't worry, that's not as bad as my experience. I don't know what the person who taught me showed me, but it was bad enough that I blocked the details from my mind."

"I see," Lucy mumbled. They stared at each other for a few more moments.

"We should really get some sleep," Natsu said as he began to lower himself slowly. "We have school tomorrow."

His mouth was only inches away from hers when she pushed him to the side.

"You're right!" she exclaimed. "We should sleep. I'm off to get ready for bed." When she returned, Natsu was stretched out along her bed near the wall. An inviting smile adorned his face.

"I'll let you sleep here tonight," Lucy said as she pulled up her covers, "as long as you don't try anything." She felt him nod against her back. "Good," she muttered before she closed her eyes. She was on the verge of sleep when Natsu started playing with the hem of her shirt.

"I can still kick you out of the house," she reminded him. He didn't bother her after that.

* * *

><p>Natsu had a sense of déjà vu as he chased after his girlfriend. "Lucy!" he called. "Wait up!"<p>

He had woken up to an empty bed, the sheets beside him mysteriously cold. It took Natsu a few minutes to realise why this caused him pain as he remembered whose house and bed he had shared during the night. He called Lucy's name groggily a couple of times, but the only response he received was from Happy, who explained he had flown over in the middle of the night because Natsu had not returned and the blue cat was worried. He also mentioned that Lucy had already left for school. Natsu almost ran out of the house without changing his clothes. Now he was suitably dressed in his uniform and running across the park, desperately trying to catch up with his girlfriend.

The last time he had been here was the day he had kissed Lucy for the first time and asked her out. In that order. Which he realised, now that he reflected on it, had been rather forward of him. He smiled at the memory. He had been so nervous he could barely look at the beautiful girl in front of him. He just wanted to get the question of his chest before he lost his courage. But Lucy interrupted him every time he tried to speak, demanding to know why he had placed her present on the ground and was refusing to open it. He had kissed her on a whim. He was happy when she stopped protesting and kissed him back, it gave him hope that he may not be rejected. So when she asked what it was he wanted to say, he pulled out his gift to her and said without hesitation, "Will you be my Valentine?" Her response was not one he had expected. She had grinned up at him cheekily and said, "Only if you open my present." He did. And he thought it was the best thing she could have bought him.

Lucy stopped and looked back at him, an annoyed expression on her face. "Hurry up, Natsu. We're pushing time as it is. And I bet you haven't even eaten yet. I won't be happy if I'm late because of you."

Natsu grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him. "We'll make it if we run everywhere!" he declared.

"And you can eat while running? Wait, that's a stupid question. Of course you can."

Natsu ran faster than humanly possible without the aid of magic, never once letting go of Lucy's hand. Her heart leapt into her throat every time she stumbled. Eventually Natsu swung her onto his back and carried her all the way to the fast food restaurant and then to school.

The experience was exhilarating when she didn't have to worry about tripping and hurting herself. She didn't care that the wind was messing up her hair, that there was still the possibility that they would be late, that people were staring and might recognise her. She was happy in that moment, with her arms around Natsu's neck, her head buried in his shoulder, her cheeks aching because of her joy. Lucy hoped that her life would be filled with many more moments like these.

Lucy reluctantly untangled her arms and slid from Natsu's back when he stopped in front of the school gates, panting heavily. Erza was waiting for them. She was leaning against the fence, arms crossed, a stern look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked. "Oh no, are we late? I told you we'd be late." She punched Natsu's arm.

"Ow. We're not late," he said rubbing his arm.

"But then why…"

"I need you two to follow me," Erza said, leading the way along the path. They complied instantly. Her tone indicated that now was not the time to ignore her orders.

* * *

><p>"So how are we going to do this?" Natsu asked as he shoved another forkful of pasta into his mouth. He was referring to the mission the headmaster had asked them to undertake that morning. That was where Erza had led them, to the headmaster's office, so they could accept the request. It had been amusing to watch Lucy's face as she slowly realised where their redheaded friend was leading them. She had been so worried that she was being led to her death because Natsu had done something to earn Makarov and Erza's wrath. That fact that the other five people in the room were also wearing serious expressions did not help her distress. She practically deflated in relief when the master explained what they were meeting for.<p>

Makarov had heard rumours that one of the large orphanages in the city had starting a slave trading business on the side. He sent someone, they weren't told who, to confirm the rumour before he asked the mages to consider it. Erza had accepted the request immediately.

"I have a few ideas, but I want to hear your thoughts first," Erza said from the head of the table. "It is an important mission the headmaster has entrusted us with. We need to plan it carefully."

"We could infiltrate the orphanage and search for information." Jellal said.

Erza shook her head. "That would take too long. More children could be sold before we secure enough evidence to ensure the leaders' arrests."

"We don't necessarily have to get a job there," he continued. "We just need to find a way to search the office. We wouldn't even need to be there for that long."

"We should just break in!" Natsu said.

"Yeah, and get arrested. What if we send two of us in under the guise of a couple wanting to adopt?" Lucy suggested.

"Juvia thinks she and Gray would be perfect for this job." Juvia was a recent transfer to FTA the newest member of the Fairy Tail guild. The blue haired water mage has quickly developed an obsession with Gray and could often be seen tailing the ice mage. Everyone liked her, though, and considered her a great addition to their team. But she did have a weird habit of speaking in third person…

"No," Lucy head shaking her head. "I think Jellal and Erza would be better suited. They're the oldest here. I bet if we dressed them right they could look like a couple in their late twenties."

Juvia glared at Lucy. "Why must you try and separate us, ruining the opportunity this love needs to flourish. Lucy is always trying to corrupt Gray's feelings."

That was another thing of Juvia's. Everyone was her love rival. Particularly Lucy.

"But they still wouldn't be able to slip away and get any information," Levy pointed out, speaking over Juvia. She did not particularly enjoy playing devil's advocate (unless she was doing it to annoy Lucy), but it had to be done to create a near flawless plan. "Whoever is showing them around probably won't leave."

"What if they had a kid?" Gajeel said. "While the 'parents' are looking at the orphans, the kid can run off to 'play' and search the office."

"And find the information we need! Yes! That's a great idea." Levy reached over and kissed Gajeel. "My boyfriend is a genius!"

Everyone rolled their eyes at the couples antics and ignored Levy's biased outburst.

"So which one of us will be the kid?" Gray asked.

Everyone turned to Levy.

"Now way," she said raising her hands. "I may be short, but not short enough to pass off as a ten year old kid. Why don't you use Gemini?" she asked Lucy.

"Gemini won't be able to stay in disguise long enough." Lucy drummed her fingers on the table. There had to be someone young they could trust. Lucy ran through all the younger members of the guild. Most of them were too young or she didn't know them well enough to judge their character. But there was one person they had worked with before, on numerous occasions. The youngest member of their team, who was in her final year of primary school.

"What about Wendy?"

* * *

><p>"Ugh, I hate piggy tails. They make me look seven," Wendy complained as she tugged on the ends of her hair. She was walking to the orphanage, dawdling behind Jellal and Erza. They were holding hands and murmuring to each other.<p>

Jellal chuckled. "That was the point, Wendy." He was dressed up in a dark suit, his blue hair combed back from his face.

"I know," she sighed. This wasn't exactly how she had planned to spend her weekend—she had never broken into a large organisation's office to steal important documents before—but when Lucy asked her to do this, she could hardly say no.

"But I haven't worn clothes like this in years," she continued. She was dressed in bright pink overalls, worn over an orange shirt. Virgo had brought these clothes from the spirit world and claimed they would make anyone who looked at her think she was younger than she was. They may be useful for this job, but she still felt ridiculous wearing them.

Erza smiled at Wendy over her shoulder. "They're cute. I think it suits you." She was wearing one of those women's business suits that had a skirt instead of pants. Her hair had been arranged into a tasteful bun by Cancer and with her make up, the whole outfit made her look closer to thirty than twenty.

Wendy shrugged. "If you say so."

They were nearing the orphanage. It was completely opposite to what she had imagined. She had thought it would be some ramshackle building ready to fall apart and bursting at the seams with orphaned children. In reality it was a large, three-story, limestone mansion. The garden in front of it was alarmingly green; all the plants were perfectly healthy. Wendy wondered if they took as good care of the children. It did not look like a place for children.

"You're going to want to adopt all of them," Wendy overheard Jellal say to Erza as they walked toward the dark double doors.

"I know," she replied.

"And we can't adopt any of them."

"I know."

"We have to leave them to their fate, however dark that may be."

"But we won't," Erza said. She squeezed his hand. "If we can stop these people, we might be able to save some of them." She took a deep breath and swung the knocker.

A small mousey haired woman greeted them.

"Hi," she said as she ushered them inside. "You must be the Crawley's. It's nice to meet you." She reached out and shook Erza's hand. "I'm Mary."

As Erza commenced small talk Wendy studied the interior of the mansion. It was just as impressive as the outside. She could not remember ever being in a room so big. Hallways branched off in every direction, each lined with numerous doors. She noticed a desk through one of the open doors. It was covered in piles of paper and there was a filing cabinet behind it. She could not see any signs of children anywhere.

"Is Wendy going to come with us as we or…"

"Do you mind if she stays down here and play?" Jellal asked.

Mary smiled tightly. "Of course." She didn't appear too please with the idea, but she couldn't exactly decline and risk upsetting potential clients.

Once they disappeared up the stairs and she was sure there was no one else around Wendy ran into the office. Time flew as she searched franticly. She didn't know what to look for, so she checked everything. She scanned every piece of paper, flipped over every cushion and opened every drawer, all with the constant knowledge that her time could be up at any moment.

Wendy finally found something substantial in the last drawer she opened. She barely got to read it before she heard Erza's warning. "Wendy! We're ready to go now."

Wendy shoved the paper into the pocket of her overalls and looked for an escape route. She didn't think Mary would be very happy to find her emerging from the office. The only other exit was the window leading to the backyard. Wendy pushed it open and climbed out, grateful the office was on the ground floor. She ran around the corner of the building and opened the back door just as Erza, Jellal and their guide reached the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, there you are. Did you have fun, sweetie?" Erza smiled, but that didn't cover up the fact she was unhappy. She was paler than usual, her eyes were haunted. She looked like she had seen a ghost from a past she was desperately trying to forget.

"Yes," Wendy murmured. "They have a great…" She searched her mind, grasping for something, anything, that she had seen outside. "Playground! The had a great playground."

"That's nice." Jellal turned to Mary. "We'll be in touch."

"I'm sure you will," she said. "Are you okay to show yourselves out?" Jellal nodded and began leading Erza back toward the entrance. Wendy ran after them.

"Take care," Mary called out after them. Wendy glanced back over her shoulder as the woman retreated to the office. "I swear I closed that window…" she heard Mary say.

Once they were outside, Erza sighed. "Those poor kids… Did you see the bruises, Jellal? Did you? And those eyes, begging us to take them away. It was horrible."

"Um." Wendy hesitated. She didn't know whether it was okay to give the paper to Erza when she was in such a state. What if she reacted badly? This visit had obviously been emotional for her.

"It's fine, Wendy," Jellal said. "Tell us what you found."

Wendy reached into her pocket and pulled out the note. Erza snatched it from her small hands and stared at the slip paper. It was only small. There weren't many words on it, just an address and a few numbers.

_25 kids aged 3-16_

_$50,000_

_Warehouse 7, Rosely Lane_

_Pick up 5 p.m. Sunday_

She took off toward the guild. According to her watch it was barely 3 p.m. They had no time to waste.

"We have to rescue those kids."

* * *

><p>They sat around the table, waiting for the call. Makarov, Erza, Gray, Natsu, Gajeel and Levy were all staring at the cell phone in the centre. The air was tangibly tense. There was the possibility that they may lose someone on the mission, a loved one, a friend, a child. They prayed it would go well. It was certainly simple enough. All they had to do was investigate the warehouse and confirm whether or not the kids were being held there. If so, they would call for back up. If not, they would return. There wasn't too much risk by the usual standard.<p>

But this mission felt different.

Cana had delivered a warning before they left. She said her cards had indicated impending danger and tragedy. They had faced worse odds before. But never split up like they were now.

When planning the rescue mission, it was decided they'd send the girls. They would appear less threatening to any who happened to see them. Lucy, Wendy, Juvia and Erza had been chosen. It was thought that is worst came to worst, they could defend themselves without the obvious use of magic or find a way to talk themselves out of trouble.

Jellal changed that plan. He cornered Erza as she was getting ready to set out. "Let me go in your stead," he had begged.

"No," she replied. "I must go. I have to save those kids. I can't let them go through what I went through—"

"What _we_ went through," Jellal interrupted. "I was there too, Erza. I want to rescue them just as much as you do."

"Then why don't you want me to go?" She was getting angry. Who was he to tell her where she could and could not go? She was her own woman; she could make decisions by herself. "I can do whatever mission I please. Who are to order me around?"

"Because you're too attached to it!" he said, taking her by the shoulders. "If the kids are there you won't wait for back up. I know you won't. You'll burst in and get yourself and them killed. Don't argue, Erza. You know I'm right. I don't want that to happen. I'd worry about you. Plus, four teenage girls walking through abandoned industrial district would make great targets for these people. They'd be less likely to approach if a man was with them."

Erza studied her shoes. Despite being together for almost a year, she had never gotten used to hearing Jellal say things like that. Their journey had been a long arduous one, with numerous ups and downs. She could clearly remember the times when she had thought Jellal was an enemy, or dead, or the constant ache she had felt for the long years they were apart, without any idea of what happened to him. It seemed surreal that they were finally together and happy.

"I'll worry about you, too," she mumbled.

"Does that mean I can go?" he asked, tilting her chin up. She nodded. "Thank you, Erza," he murmured as he kissed her. "Thank you so much."

He ran out the door before she could ask why he was so grateful.

Erza fidgeted nervously in her chair. Something wasn't right. They should have had a phone call by now. It was a twenty-minute walk to the warehouse, half an hour at most. And hour had elapsed since Jellal ran out of the room.

Erza was about to ask Makarov if she could leave to find out what was taking so long when Mirajane run into the room. All hope was dashed as they looked at her face.

"They know," Mira burst out. Her voice was shaking, she was near tears. "They know we're investigating the warehouse. They sent some people to stop them."

* * *

><p>The warehouse district appeared abandoned as Lucy led the group along the wide road. The afternoon sun was beginning to set and any business that was conducted here was on a break for the weekend.<p>

"Are we almost there?" Wendy asked. She was unusually jumpy.

"Almost. According to the map it's a couple of block—" Lucy stopped as a small movement caught her attention.

"Ah, a lovely group of beautiful young mages. Isn't this quite the surprise."

A thickset man approached the small team. He had stepped out from one of the darkened alleys between the monstrous warehouses.

"Mages?" Lucy said, adopting a suitably puzzled tone. "Whatever could you be talking about?"

"You can drop the act the act, darling. You won't be fooling us anytime soon."

More men materialised, dressed in similar attire to the man in front of them. They stepped out from behind trees, skip bins, poles, and buildings. Some simply emerged from the slowly growing shadows. They quickly surrounded the team, effectively cutting off all escape routes.

Jellal stepped forward and pushed Wendy behind him. "What do you want?"

"Oh, aren't you courageous, trying to protect the little girl from harm." The man chuckled. "It will not work, however."

In a single movement all the men reached into their jackets, pulling out metallic black pistols. Lucy stared down the dark barrels, fear settling in her chest.

"We know for a fact that you are indeed mages, from the Fairy Tail guild if my source is correct. Ah, your eyes tell me he is." He grinned. "Isn't this a great opportunity. Not only do I get to protect my little business, I have the opportunity to do my country a great service."

"Y-you're in charge of the orphanage?" Wendy gasped.

"Not alone, but yes. I'm one of the few people behind this wonderful operation. It's a great business slave trading. You get to see the world, meet many influential people, and the pay is fantastic. Now…" He circled the group, hands clasped behind his back as if he was going for a simple stroll. He looked at them the way breeders looked at horses for sale, studying their conformation, their colour, their temperament.

"I was going to kill you before," he said. "But that would be such an awful waste. I'm sure we could find many uses for you, ladies. Our clientele aren't limited to children. We've been thinking of branching out. Maybe we should make the most of this prime opportunity." He cocked his as he considered Jellal. "I'm not sure what we'll do about your friend, though. There may be some interested parties, but…" The man shrugged and raised his fingers into the air. "Not enough to make a clear profit."

There was a loud _crack_. Jellal jerked, a small gasp of pain escaped his lips. His hands clutched his side.

"He's expendable."

"Jellal," Wendy asked, her soft voice strained. "What's wrong?" She gave a horrified gasp as he fell to his knees. Lucy eyes widened as she registered the blood seeping from under his fingers, violating the bright blue of his jacket.

"You have to tell Erza," he said through gritted teeth, his face a mask of anger. The pain was evident in his voice. "Tell her what happened. Tell her it's not her fault. We chose to come here. Tell her I'll miss her, I love her, and not to worry. She'll be fine."

"Jellal…" Lucy had tears in her eyes. She didn't want to see this; she wanted it to be fiction. She could deal with fiction.

"Do you promise, girls?" he asked loudly. It was a costing him a great effort to keep himself upright. He was swaying on his knees and his vision was blurry. The material of his jacket was saturated with blood and the red liquid was running over his hand. It dripped onto the ground like rain, but stained like scarlet ink.

"We promise," the three girls said in unison. Tears were tracing shiny trails along their cheeks.

"Thank you," he said. He glared at the cruel man in front of them. "Do not think you can mess with Fairy Tail and get away with it," he barely pushed out. "Your retribution will come. It will be swift and unbearable. I promise. You should dread the day they find you" The energy fueled by his anger suddenly fled from Jellal and he collapsed.

There was no time to mourn. Juvia stepped toward the man. "Erza is Juvia's friend," she said in a menacing tone. "Jellal is Erza's love. Juvia cannot let his pain go unpunished." She raised her arms.

"Juvia, are you sure about this?" Lucy asked, reaching for her keys. There were more men here now. Not enough to draw attention, but more than enough to outnumber the small team.

The water mage smiled and nodded. "There is no other choice. Water slicer!" she screamed and swung her arms down. A torrent of water pushed their assailants back. Lucy pulled of a key, ready to summon Taurus, and Wendy built up the power of her breath. They stood in a circle, guarding their fallen comrade against the onslaught that was to come.

"We'll attack in unison!" Lucy yelled, raising her key into the air. "Wipe them all out at once! On my count! One, two! Thr—"

The sound of marching steps interrupted the count. The sound drowned everything else out. Lucy paled as she realised who it must be.

The gunmen fled as the sound got closer, disappearing into the city streets. But the mages couldn't move. They weren't strong enough to carry Jellal by themselves, and they couldn't leave him behind.

"Natsu," Lucy whispered desperately as they came into sight. "Don't come after me. Stay safe." She knew what her fate would be, and there was no escaping it.

* * *

><p>She was sprinting. Her armour clanked with every step, barely louder than the sound of her heaving breaths. Dear God, she hoped she wasn't late. She couldn't be late. If she lost him or her friends again she didn't know what she'd do.<p>

She pushed her way through the currents of panicked people flowing her way. They were screaming, crying, panicking. _Why?_ she wanted to know. _What is happening?_ Her mind jumped to the worst conclusions. She had to move faster.

She became heedless of the faces in front of her. They didn't matter. Men, women, children, she pushed them all to the side. If she failed, if she didn't get there in time…

The final hill was in front of her, the road was clear. She had never wished so desperately for something. The army was in her way. She could see their distinctive armour and weapons. She felt despair settle in her stomach. It couldn't be… This couldn't be happening. Surely they wouldn't have had to resort to such measures. The mission wasn't supposed to be that difficult.

She had to see.

The final building before the mass of stoic guards had a ladder she scaled. She couldn't climb it fast enough. As soon as she stepped to the next rung it seemed another three were added. She could feel the tears running down her face. She had to know. She had to know what was happening.

It felt like an eternity had passed before she breached the top. She felt faster than the wind as she bolted across the roof, skidding to a stop with her toes hanging of the edge.

Erza stumbled back and fell to her knees. Her hands covered her mouth as she began to sob. She could see Wendy, her face a snotty mess, being yanked into an armoured truck by the soldiers. They did not care that she was barely twelve, that she had no idea what they were doing to her. They treated her as roughly as they would treat a man. They saw her as worthless scum that practiced forbidden magic. She was a small delicate creature that they feared.

Lucy was behind her, on her knees, face pressed to the ground and hands cuffed behind her back. Lucy's back was tense, still. Erza felt her pain as the soldiers tormented her, kicked her, spat at her. Erza felt the anger rising inside her, screaming at her to let it out, to ignore reason and attempt to rescue her friends. But it was hopeless. There was nothing she could do against this many opponents, not without help. She felt worthless.

There was an angry scream as rain began to fall. Juvia was fighting, thrashing. The guards could not get a hold of her as she turned to liquid. Erza was proud of the newest Fairy Tail member, fighting to protect those friends she barely knew. Another group of soldiers entered the ring. Two of them supported a large weapon. Erza cringed as bolts of electricity jumped toward Juvia.

As they carried Juvia's unconscious body away, Erza noticed something she hadn't seen before, something that Juvia had been protecting. There was a lifeless body on the ground. There was only one possibility to who it could be, but she didn't want to believe it. She didn't want to go through the pain of losing him to something terrible again.

The wind stirred the blue hair and bloodstained jacket, revealing the familiar intricate pattern around his eye. Fresh sobs racked her body. She was disappointed in herself. She hadn't gotten here fast enough. She hadn't been able to save them. They'd been hurt because of her. She had let them down.

She had failed.

**End Chapter 2**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> Earlier, when I said Wendy attends primary school, I was referring to the Australian type, which goes from grades 1-7. Since she's 12, she would be in year 7, which I think is in Middle school for some people in different countries. High school over here goes from years 8-12. This is some information you probably didn't need to know. But now you do. Hooray!

* * *

><p>And there we have it, the end of chapter two. I wonder if you guys thought this is where it would lead when you encouraged me to continue it. Thanks for that, by the way. I love reading your thoughts. So far, I have only had good reviews. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your support. And good reviews always boost my confidence as a writer (and my ego, too :P )<p>

Another thing I wanted to add: that last seen was so much fun to write. And slightly emotional. That's what came to me first. Everything else came in bits and pieces all over the place. It was an interesting experience.

You might have to wait a while again for the next chapter. I'm a really slow writer and easily distracted. I also have to update Fairy Tail's Spy. But those chapters are shorter so hopefully it won't take too long. My updates are also going to become more infrequent when school goes back in a couple of weeks, but I'll write when I can. I feel bad for leaving it like this.

Anyhoo, I look forward to reading your thoughts.

Until next time

-Beczy


	3. Interrogations and Investigations

Yay! New chapter! Now you can find out what happens next! Enjoy XD

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Fairy Tail. Obviously. If you saw my drawings, you'd have some terrible nightmares.

* * *

><p><strong>Interrogations and Investigations<strong>

His hand was still warm.

She pressed it to her cheek. The rain mixed with her tears as they ran down her face. She could barely feel the faint pulse in his wrist, could hardly see the slight rise and fall of his chest. Maybe hope was not lost; maybe they would get here in time and he would be able to live.

She put more pressure on the coat that was balled against his side. It was already soaked with blood and water. She couldn't tell if the bleeding had slowed, but she had to try it. Too much of his blood had already been washed down the drains; he couldn't afford to lose any more.

She felt selfish as she prayed for his survival. She knew she should be worrying about the girls, she could be chasing after them, but this man seemed more important. The army had left him behind when they arrested the girls; they had been so sure he would die there on the street. So had she.

She heard wet tires pulling to a stop behind her. Her heart soared with relief, just as it had when she had pushed back his damp, blue hair and felt the remaining warmth, when she had desperately pressed her fingers to his neck and discovered the faint pulse.

She turned as the car door slammed. She couldn't see whose splashing footsteps were running toward her through the wet curtain of dark red hair.

"Erza, where's Lucy? Where are the others?"

She looked up at Natsu as he stood over her, breathing heavily. "I don't know," she whispered. "The soliders took them."

He growled and started rushing around the street, his nose in the air. He took numerous deep breaths, trying to catch any remanants of a scent, but the rain covered any trail that might have existed.

"Goddammit, I can't smell anything. WHY CAN'T I SMELL HER SCENT?" He cupped his mouth with his hands. "Lucy! Wendy! Juvia! _LUCY!_"

"Knock it off, Natsu," Gray commanded as he knelt beside Erza. "They're gone. We can't help them right now. You have to seal up Jellal's wound. At least we have a chance of saving him."

Natsu stormed toward them and shoved his flaming fist against Jellal's side. Jellal didn't respond to the pain, his eyelids barely flickered. Natsu glared at Erza across his body. "They could be dead."

Erza looked away guiltily. She knew he was accusing her. If she hadn't been so selfish, if she hadn't stayed beside Jellal…

"Why didn't you help them?" he asked.

"There were too many soliders," she mumbled. "We were grieveously outnumbered. We didn't stand a chance."

"You didn't even try!" he exlaimed. "And you could have run after the car! Found out what facility they were headed to."

"But Jellal…"

"Who cares? Now Lucy's head is on the chopping block because of you! If anything happens to her—"

"Natsu!" Gray interrupted. He was scowling. "Now is not the time. We have to get Jellal to Porlyusica, like the master ordered."

"But Lucy—"

"Will be fine. They won't execute her staight away. They'll interrogate her first, trying to get information about the guild. We still have time to rescue her. Jellal on the other hand needs medical attention immediately."

"If Wendy were here she could heal him," Natsu said, pushing the knife deeper into Erza's already aching chest. He helped his friend lift Jellal and place him in the backseat of the car. Erza slid in beside her boyfriend, cradling his head in her lap. Gray sat in the driver's seat, but Natsu started to walk away from the car.

"Hey!" Gray called after him. "Where are you going? We need to drive Jellal to the forest!"

"You go ahead. I'm sure you can cope without me." Natsu pushed on through the rain, never once looking back at the car. He had to save Lucy and the others. He couldn't let them be tortured.

Someone called his name as the car's engine began to rumble. He glanced over his shoulder. Erza was pointing toward one of the alleys.

"The car went that way."

He nodded and started running. She watched his retreating back as they drove away. He was doing what she should have done, what she didn't have the courage or strength to do. She hoped he found them quickly, for her conciensce's sake. For the guild's sake. For his own sake.

* * *

><p>It was cold in the cell. Lucy could not stop shivering. She could hear Wendy's teeth chattering. They had been thrown into the small, dark room immediately after their arrival at the government's mage holding facility and hadn't been given a chance to dry off their clothes. Lucy hoped she wouldn't get sick, she didn't want Wendy wasting energy trying to heal her when it could be used to help Juvia.<p>

"How is she?" Lucy asked. Juvia had been electrocuted when they were arrested. She had been fighting the soliders and protecting Jellal. They couldn't touch her, everytime they tried she would morph into water. So they had brought out a large gun that shot bursts of lightening toward her. The power and pain had knocked her out immediately.

Wendy was cradling Juvia's head; her fingers were placed at the water mages temples as she sent waves of healing magic into her comrade's body. "I healed her burns. She should be fine once she wakes up." She looked out the small, barred window that was their only source of light and fresh air. "I wish Jellal was here so I could heal him."

"Yeah," Lucy murmured as painful images resurfaced. Jellal jerking as he was shot. Jellal's blood dripping to the ground. Jellal making them promise things they could no longer keep**. **Jellal lying there lifelessly as they drove away from him, leaving him to die.

There was a clanking noise as the lock turned in the solid iron door. Two hulking silhouettes stood in the hallway.

"Which one do we take?" a shadow asked. Lucy assumed they were guards.

"Well the blue haired one's unconcious," the other responded. "And the little kid probably knows nothin'. That leaves the blondey."

They walked into the cell.

"You know," one chuckled as he snatched one of Lucy's wrists, "the boss might let us have a little fun with these girls later, before they're killed."

"That'd be nice," the other agreed as he shackled Lucy's arms and roughly pulled her to her feet. Wendy wimpered and hunched, as if she was trying to make herself a smaller target. She shouldn't have to hear such vulgar things.

"Don't worry, Wendy," Lucy reassured her. "It will all be okay. Nothing will happen to us, I promise."

"Shut up, wench." The guard holding the end of the chain grabbed a handful of her hair. He tugged it, bending her neck to a painful angle where she had no choice but to look at him. "How can you possibly know that? Fake promises are nice and all, but when you're in a situation this bad, you really should just tell her the truth." He pushed her away. She took a grateful breath of stale air, which didn't smell so bad compared to that man's stench.

"Get moving or you'll be late," his companion ordered, leading the way out the door.

The light in the hallway blinded Lucy. She heard the door scrape against the stone floor as it closed. The small, ridiculous hope that they might leave it open so Wendy could escape this dungeon died. She considered summoning one of her spirits but quickly realised that was another hopeless idea. Her keys had been confiscated and the manacles adorning her wrists nulled magical power. It was very unlikely any of them would be escaping today.

The hallway seemed to never end. It did not curve or bend as far as Lucy could see, and there were cells set at equal intervals along the walls. She could hear the occupants behind the heavy iron doors cackling, whispering, and screaming. There seemed to be a lot of mages in custody. More than she expected for a government that held regular burnings.

Eventually they stopped outside a door. It was different to the others. This one sported a window. An engraving of Fiore's emblem decorated the dark metal. The taller of the two guards stepped forward and rapped on the door. Someone responded from the room and the door was pushed open, revealing a large room with a table and two chairs. A short man was already sitting in one of the chairs, a clipboard in front of him.

The guards pulled Lucy into the room and pushed her roughly into the other seat. They removed her arms from the manacles, but immediately restrained them in the shackles attached to the arms of the chair. Lucy didn't try anything during that brief window of opportunity; she was too busy staring at the man across from her. The guards left the room, closing the door behind them. Lucy tested the strength of her bonds. They were almost too tight and she could not draw any magical power. She wouldn't be getting out of them in a hurry.

"Are you going to cooperate?" the man asked as he opened the clipboard. He picked up a silver pen and started writing. "Or will we have to resort to more desperate measures?"

Lucy watched his pen fly across the paper. Her fingers started twitching with the need to write, to record her journey and leave something of herself behind for the world. It had been too long since she'd last written a line of her novel. But now was not the time to be thinking of such things.

"I'll cooperate," she answered. There wasn't much else she could do.

"Good," he murmured as he flipped to the next page in the clipboard. "It would be a shame to have to hurt your companions."

Lucy couldn't believe he said such a thing without any sign of emotion. To threaten to torture an incapacitated teenager and a young girl so non-chalantly... there wasn't even any sign of glee on his face. Surely such an act should evoke some form of emotion. The simple thought of her friends being tortured scared her, made her want to give up all her secrets to prevent such an act. For it not to faze him he must have done some truly monstrous things.

"I want to ask you a few questions," he said, his pen still scratching along the paper. "I'm sure you'll answer truthfully." He glanced up then, surprising her. His eyes were so light, she could barely see tell the iris apart from the white.

"Yes, sir," she mumbled, giving a slight nod. He turned back to the clipboard.

"According to your identification that we found in your purse you are Miss Lucy Heartfilia. You are sixteen, and if the numerous reports and demands sent by your father are any indication, you are a runaway. You also carry quite a collection of keys, the majority of which would not fit in the average door." He folded his hands and met her eyes. "Is my assumption that you are a celestial spirit wizard correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Does your father know about this destructive hobby?"

"No." She had run away as soon as she had mastered her magic. Her father detested the idea of it; he believed it was the reason behind Layla's death. If he discovered she possessed the same skill their relationship would have become even shakier.

"What about your companions? Do they possess any magic?"

They had already observed Juvia using her magic, but as far as Lucy knew they had not seen Wendy use hers. She wondered what the man would do if he suspected she was lying. Would he hurt Wendy or Juvia? Would he torture her? Would he threaten the well being of her loved ones? Should she risk it and lie or tell the truth and ensure another young girl's death?

"Juvia is a water mage," she admitted finally, the transparent eyes still boring into her skull. "But Wendy is a normal girl." She tried not to fidget as he watched her. Those eyes, despite their clearness, were impossible to read.

"Don't lie to me again," he warned her, "or I will resort to desperate measures. It is imperitive the data I collect is exact. There can be no error in my report like there is in yours. Why would a group of three mages be traveling with a simple human? Particularly in an empty district such as the one where you were arrested." He turned back to his notes, the pen resting in his hand. "You go to Fairy Tail Academy."

Lucy nodded. She dreaded the questions she knew must be coming, the ones where she'd have to lie again and put the lives of her friends in danger.

"That school certainly has quite the reputation," he continued. "It is also the subject of a lot of speculation. You must have heard of the old mage guild that shared the same name and the rumours surrounding it. Could you confirm if any of them are true? The Council would be very interested."

The Council was the new government that ran Fiore. It was based on the format of the old magic council, but the principles and goals were completely different. The old council had worked on controlling magic, ensuring it was used in a peaceful and beneficial manner. The new council also wanted to control magic, by wiping it out completely.

"Then they're going to be disappointed," Lucy told the man. She leant back in her seat, attempting to project an air of confidence. "There is no connection between FTA and that guild."

"And the fact that three mages the army uncovered today attend the school is just a sheer coincidence."

"Right. We became friends with each other because we shared the same secret. We could lean on each other."

"And why exactly were you spending your weekend in a deserted industrial district?"

"We'd heard a rumour that someone was holding kids in a warehouse somewhere. We were going to rescue them. They were orphans being sold of to the highest bidder for use as slaves."

For the first time the muscles that showed emotion in the face moved. He frowned. "Slaves, you say?"

"Yes!" Lucy exclaimed. She realised that maybe this man might be able to help the kids. Surely the government wouldn't let this immoral act continue. She may die, but at least the orphans might be saved.

"That big orphanage in the city is selling the kids! You have to do something about it, _please_."

"I'm not entirely sure if I can trust the word of a mage," he muttered as he stood, tucking the clipboard under his arm. He slid the pen into his pocket and walked toward the door. "I must relay this information to my superiors."

* * *

><p>The wind ruffled their feathers as the three Exceeds soared through the night sky. They could see their target, a five story building, ahead of them, a dark shadow against the star speckled sky.<p>

This mission was very important. They had to find the missing girls. Natsu's frantic search that afternoon had not resulted in a confirmed location, so Makarov had sent the cats out. They could cover more ground than any of the humans and get past the security without being seen.

This was the last facility they had left to check. If the girls weren't here, then they were probably dead. Happy hoped they found them soon. Natsu was acting strangely. He was angry all the time and yelled at everyone, even the little blue cat. It scared Happy that if Lucy wasn't found, Natsu might stay that way forever. And despite all his teasing, Happy didn't want anything bad to happen to Lucy. She bought him fish all the time.

They peered through the bars of every window, careful not be noticed by the occupants of the cells. Their predator eyes picked out numerous details in the dark. There were some very strange people being held in the facility. But not one of them were the missing mages. The girls were not in the cells on the top floor. Nor were they on the fourth, or the third, or the second.

"We only have a few rooms left to search," Pantherlily grumbled as they flew away from another cell. "Odds are they're not here."

"Aye," Happy muttered glumly. They had been flying all night and he was craving fish, but he wanted to find them. He didn't want to disappoint Natsu and the guild.

"Don't say ridiculous things like that," Charle admonished Lily as they landed on the next windowsill. "The probability that we will find them increases each time we move to a new window. We will stumble across them soon, I know it."

"But what if they're de—"

"They're alive," she insisted, her hands on her hips. "I've seen them in a vision. They're not dead yet. They can't be dead yet."

"Charle?" The small, cautious whisper came from the cell. "Charle, is it you?"

Happy threw himself against the bars. He wasn't quite skinny enough to squeeze between them. "Wendy! We found you!"

Charle moved beside Happy. "Are you okay? Did anything bad happen to you?"

The sound of the lock turning interrupted Wendy's reply. Pantherlily pulled the two other cats away from the window. They heard male voices murmur and laugh before the door was closed and the lock clicked again. As soon as Lily released them they were back at the bars.

"Lucy!" Happy exclaimed. The blonde was kneeling near the door of the cell, her arms braced against the stone floor. At the sound of her name she looked up and grinned.

"Happy! It's good to see you. How is everyone?"

"Worried. We don't want you to be killed, Lucy. We want to save you."

"I know, Happy. But that probably won't happen right now. At least we're still alive at the moment and not too injured."

"Lucy, are you okay?" Wendy asked. "Are you hurt? Do you need me to heal you?"

Lucy shook her head. "I'm fine. They just wanted to aske me a few questions. I told you it'd all be okay."

Wendy carefully moved Juvia's head from where it was resting on her lap and stood. "What about Jellal? Is he okay?"

The Exceeds shared a look. How much should they tell her? What if the news broke her heart? She wanted to heal him, they could tell, but there was nothing she could do from inside the cell.

"He's in Porlyusica's care now," Panterlily muttered. "She doesn't know how long it will take for him to recover, or if he'll heal at all. That's all we've heard so far."

Wendy groaned and grabbed the bars. She tried to jerk them, but they didn't budge an inch. "I want to get out of here. I can heal him. I know I can. Why can't I eat iron like Gajeel? Or breath fire like Natsu? If I wasn't the stupid sky dragonslayer I could probably break us out of here." She punched the wall rythmically, repeating, "I want to heal him, I need to heal him," with each application of force. Lucy pulled the sobbing girl away before she seriously injured her hand.

"I know you do," Lucy crooned to her, stroking Wendy's dark hair. "I want to, too. But we can't get out. I don't have my keys to summon Virgo or any other spirit, and I want you to save your magic for healing people. We have to do what we can."

Wendy nodded. "Maybe we'll discover that I have some secret ability that allows me to change form or something."

Lucy laughed softly. "That would be useful. You could become the wind, just like Juvia turns into—" She cut off abruptly as she realised something. She kicked herself. Why hadn't she realised this before?

She untangled herself from Wendy and ran to Juvia. Lucy took the water mage's shoulders and began to shake her frantically. "Wake up, Juvia. You need to wake up _now._"

"Lucy, I don't think that's how you're supposed to treat injured people," Happy said.

She turned to glare at him. "I thought you were happy to see me?"

"Aye, but then you started acting like a crazy person."

Lucy ignored the unhelpful cat. "Juvia, if you don't wake up I'll take Gray away from you."

Wendy had never seen someone regain conciousness so quickly. Juvia's eyes flew open and she sat up, pushing Lucy to the ground.

"Who is scheming to steal my Gray's love? They must not live to achieve this goal. It was you, wasn't it?" She wrapped her hands around Lucy's neck and started squeezing. Lucy tried to talk, but Juvia's grip was too tight.

"Juvia! Stop it," Wendy instructed. She tried to pry the hands away from Lucy's neck. "She was just trying to wake you up. Don't kill her!"

Juvia squeezed her hands once more for good measure before willingly releasing her rival. "Where are we," she asked as she looked around the cell. She didn't remember walking into such a room. "And why are the cats standing behind bars?"

"We were arrested," Lucy said hoarsely, rubbing her throat. "You were electrocuted, remember."

Juvia thought for a moment and then nodded. "Juvia was protecting Erza's love. Where is Jellal?"

"Not here with us. We're locked in a cell and can't escape. Well, Wendy and I can't, but you can."

Juvia turned to look at the bars. "I see." She walked toward the window and gripped the bars before turning her hands into liquid. She moved them from side to side. The bars passed through with little resistance.

Juvia turned and smirked at Lucy. "See, Juvia is much more useful than Lucy."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Yes, Juvia. Be sure to tell Gray that when you see him. I'm sure he cares."

"Cats, be ready to catch me as I move through the bars. Juvia has never flown before and does not want to fall to her death."

"Aye, sir." Happy wondered if that was possible, she was made from water after all, it wasn't like she would break her spine.

Juvia stopped when half her body was out the window. Her water from was almost transparent, the other girls could barely make it out.

"Are you sure you want me to escape," she asked. "Juvia feels bad being the only one to get away."

"We're sure," Wendy told her. "One of us escaping is better than none at all."

"Now hurry up before the guards come to check on us again," Lucy said, "or all of this will have been for nothing."

Juvia smiled and pushed the rest of the way out of the window. She solidified herself as they flew away from the building, suspended in the air by Panterlily's tail. She swore that they would come back to rescue those girls. They would find a way.

* * *

><p>Levy hadn't meant to oversleep. She never normally worked on Sundays, but she was filling in for a sick workmate. She had set the alarm on her phone, but that hadn't gone off in the morning. And now she was running late.<p>

She sprinted across the green lawn of the orphanage, desperately hoping Mary either hadn't arrived or noticed her absence yet. That woman was a tyrant and ran the orphanage like it was a military operation. She was also hard with the punishments. Every single kid there had at least one scar, both visible and unseen, that they had received while living under that roof. Their hidden tears broke her heart, but she couldn't help them for fear of comprimising her job.

Levy had started working undercover at the orphanage almost a month ago. She'd gotten the job soon after her friends' arrest when Gajeel had made 'enquiries' and discovered there was a vacancy in the staff that the orphanage was trying to fill. Her mission was to get to the bottom of the human trafficking business while the rest of the guild searched for a way to break Lucy and Wendy out of prison. She had argued this decision at first, but Makarov had made it clear that she was the only option.

"All the boys are too scary and don't know how to handle children," he had told her. "Erza is in no condition to work and they already know her face. Juvia is a fugitive and must stay in hiding. I'm not sure how Mira, Lisanna and the other girls will cope if the orphanage is anything like what Erza reported. You're the only option, Levy. I trust you will excel in this mission."

She couldn't really refuse, could she?

Levy pushed through the smaller staff door hidden around the side of the building and stuffed her bags in her locker. She ran into the foyer, barely pausing to slip off her boots, and started toward the office. Hopefully Mary would be busy elsewhere and Levy could sign in and change the time a little.

The office was empty. Levy signed in quickly and took note of the room number beside her name. There were twenty kids in there, just like there was in every other small room in the mansion.

Levy walked out of the door of the office and was heading toward the stairs when she noticed a glass bowl filled with brightly coloured things. Upon closer inspection she realised they were a famous, expensive brand of chocolate. She had always wanted to try one, but had never had enough money. She glanced around. No one was in sight. Maybe if she took just one…

Levy's hand stretched out slowly. It made contact with the crinkly wrapper. There was no sounds of objection from anywhere. She unwrapped it and placed it in her mouth. So this is what heaven tasted like. She'd have to start dropping hints around Gajeel.

She still couldn't hear anyone nearby. Maybe she could have just one more…

"Why are you touching that bowl?"

Levy jerked her hand away and spun. Mary had just entered from the back door.

"Those treats are for today's guests, not the likes of you," Mary scolded. "Now go and do your job. We have our regular guests coming today and the kids must look picture perfect."

Mary retreated into the office, leaving Levy to stare after her. She wondered who these guests were and why exactly they were so important. Levy shrugged and shoved a few handfuls of the chocolates into her pockets. She'd find out sooner or later.

It was strangely quiet upstairs. Unnecessary speaking was against the orphanage's rules, but there would usually be small whispers floating down the hall. Today it was deadly silent.

She pushed open the door of her assigned room to find all the kids waiting on their thin beds. They sat with their backs perfectly straight, their legs crossed and stared straight ahead. It was eery; children shouldn't act in this way. They looked like robotic soliders, waiting for the command to march.

Levy pulled the chocolates from her pockets and threw one at each of the kids. "Relax, guys. You don't need to be so… stiff all the time."

They slumped slightly, though most of them were still unsure. The picked up the wrapped chocolate and stared at it like they'd never seen such a thing before.

"You can eat it," she told them. "It's really nice. But take the wrapper off first!" she added as one of the younger boys popped it straight into his mouth. "And make sure you chew it, I don't want you to choke."

She smiled as they kids bit into the chocolate. There reactions were wonderful, all widened eyes and smiled. She wished they could experience things like this more often.

Levy walked into the adjoining bathroom as the children enjoyed their treats and found a hairbrush.

"I have to get you kids ready for very important guests," she said as she took a seat on the end of one of the beds. "Who wants to go first?"

A young blonde girl crawled onto her lap. Her hair was a nest. Levy winced for the girl.

"We don't like it when we have the weekly visitors," the little girl muttered, her head jerking as Levy pulled the brush through her knotty hair. She didn't complain about the pain.

"Why not?" Levy asked. "Isn't it a good thing? They come to give money that's spent on your wellbeing."

An older boy in the corner laughed. "Our wellbeing. Right. You can tell they care for us so much." He swept his arms down his body, indicating the tattered clothes that were a size too small and the slowly healing welts that could be seen through the holes. Levy wished she could have been here when he was beaten; she would have tried to prevent it somehow. She hated seeing the children in pain, but she could hardly argue with the managers of the orphanage while she was undercover.

"Some of us are going to disappear," the girl whispered. "And some more are going to be trapped here. I hope I get to disappear."

"Don't say that, Meriel," another child said. "You don't want to disappear."

"Yes I do," she replied, jumping out of Levy's lap. "At least if I disappeared I wouldn't be hurt anymore."

"How can you know that?" the first boy asked. "What if where they go is worse than this place? It's possible, you know. This place may seem like Hell, but I bet there are other places where little girls are treated even worse. At least you know what to expect here!"

Meriel teared up, her hands clenched by her side. "But I hate it! I hate it! Hate it, hate it, _HATE IT!_ I just want to go home. I want to be with Mummy again."

As one of the girls pulled Meriel into a hug, muffling her sobs, Levy turned to the boy. "What does she mean disappear?"

"Once a week these strangely dressed visitors come. They always bring more kids and always take another group away. Those kids disappear. We never see or hear from them again."

"What do you mean, 'strangely dressed'?"

What the boy described was not something she ever expected to hear.

"Are you sure?" she asked, grabbing the boy by the shoulders. "Absolutely sure?"

"Yes," he hissed. "Now let go of me. You're squeezing too hard."

Levy ran down the hallway. She had to get out of here, she had to find a pay phone and let the guild know.

She was running through the foyer when she noticed the newspaper. Levy wouldn't have noticed it if it weren't for the screaming headline. She stopped and picked it up. This was horrible. So, so horrible. They didn't have much time left.

* * *

><p>"You're back."<p>

Erza looked up at the old woman in front of her. She stood tall, the long pink hair framing her frowning face. Porlyusica was as surly as always.

"I wanted to see him again," Erza said as she pushed herself away from the tree. She had been leaning there, against the largest tree in the East Forest, for hours; waiting for the healer to return from whatever errands she had been running.

Porlyusica rolled her eyes at the comment. "Of course you do. But why must you bother me all the time? Your guild is always causing me so much trouble," she grumbled as she pressed her hand angainst the tree. A door that hadn't been there moments ago appeared, revealing the entrance to the healer's home. It always looked the same. A round room, cluttered with shelves, jars, cupboards, books, plants, and numerous other instruments. Erza had always thought that a woman living by herself would be more organised than this, particulaly considering her profession. The only clear space in the treehouse was the room that branched off the main one. It was there the patients were housed.

"Has his condition changed?" Erza asked as she waded through the mess. She could see Jellal lying on his bed, sleeping as always. He was the only patient, thankfully. It meant that Porlyusica could focus all her energy on healing him.

"No," Porlyusica said. "And I don't think there is much else I can do, not without Wendy's help. At least he hasn't worsened as far as I can tell."

Erza sat down on the edge of the bed and pushed Jellal's hair off his forehead. The action seemed repetitive, she did it every time she came to visit, but she felt it was the only thing she could do. He hadn't woken up once since they first brought him here. Erza remembered rushing through the forest and being forced to wait out outside in the chilling rain as Porlyusica worked on Jellal. Gray had to wait with her and the air between them had been tense. She suspected his feelings at the time were similar to Natsu's, but he wasn't one to blurt out what was on his mind or disobey the master's orders.

Two hours passed before they heard any news. Porlyusica had opened the door and glared at them. "Why are you still here? And waiting in the rain. Are you trying to give me more work? Hurry up and come inside."

"But you told us to get out before," Gray said, clearly puzzled.

"I was hopeing you'd go back to the guild, but you are obviously as stubborn as the rest of them. Now come and drink this tea I took the effort of making so I can tell you about the boy's condition and you can leave."

Once they were seated somewhat comfortably at what they suspected was the table Porlyusica described everything she had noticed, but only two things caught Erza's attention: "He's lucky he was shot with a magic gun. If the bullet had been real, it could have shattered bone and his lungs might have been pierced. He wouldn't live long then," and "I'm not sure how long it will take him to recover. The bullet wasn't normal and might have contained a particular type of magic. He will need to remain under constant observation for the next few days."

When Erza returned two days later, she learned that he hadn't moved at all. Porlyusica would change his bandages, check his stitches, and feed him without him responding. He was barely functioning.

"I think there might have been some form of paralysis magic contained within the bullet," Porlyusica had told them during the second week. "It would explain his comatose state, but unfortunately I can't confirm it."

Erza tried to visit Jellal every day, even if it meant sneaking away from the guild and disobeying Master Makarov. Her guildmates were getting frustrated with her, Natsu especially. He argued with her daily.

"It's pointless," he'd scream at her. "What you're doing is pointless! How is sitting beside Jellal's bedside going to help anyone? You should be doing something more productive. _Juvia_ is doing more than you and she's stuck in the basement!"

But she couldn't. It was her fault he was in that state. If she hadn't let him go in her place she would be the one lying lifelessly in the bed. That option seemed better than the reality.

"Since you're here," Porlyusica said as she entered the room, "you might as well help me again." She placed a bowl and fresh bandages on the bedside table. Erza knew what to do without being asked. She tugged the blanket down, revealing Jellal's bare torso. He was covered in healed scars. Erza could remember how he got most of them; she had been with him on that cursed island.

She reached around his shoulders and lifted him up slightly, allowing Porlyusica to unwind the bandages that were wrapped tightly around Jellal's ribs. Erza lowered him to the bed again and rolled him onto his side. Porlyusica prodded the stitched on his ribs, frowning. It was healing at an extremely slow rate; she should have removed the stitches a week ago. She suspected it had something to do with the paralysis magic, and if that were true the wound might never heal fully, unless Wendy was able to remove it from his system somehow.

Porlyusica cleaned the wound carefully and smeared a green paste, made of herbs that encouraged healing, over it before covering it with the clean bandage. She was securing it when the ruckus started. Someone was pounding the sides of the tree.

"Erza! I know you're here, Erza!"

Erza sighed. Natsu again. Here to berate her no doubt. Porlyusica ignored him as she calmly packed up her things. It was strange, Erza thought, and extremely out of character for her.

Then she pulled open the door and yelled at Natsu. "Why must all you Fairy Tail people be so noisy? Is is really necessary? And why are you disturbing my peace? I'm trying to work here."

"I, uh," Natsu stumbled. He always seemed quieter around the healer, it was almost as if she intimidated him. "I have to show this to Erza. Gramps asked me to."

"Well get it over and done with. She's inside."

Erza stood and watched Natsu run into the room, a newspaper clutched in his hand.

"This is bad, Erza. Really, really bad. I told Gramps I could easily handle the situation by my self but he insisted that I come here and get you. Apparently it's too big of a job for a single person and it needs to be carefully planned out. I don't really care what the plan is, as long as we succed."

"What is it?"

Natsu held the paper infront of her. It was too close, she couldn't make out a thing. Erza snatched the paper from him and held it at a length where the headline was visible.

_Date of Next Executions Decided. Two Mages from the Infamous Guild Fairy Tail to Burn in the Glorious Inferno._

"When is it?" Erza asked, shoving the paper back at Natsu without reading the article. She didn't want to be reminded of her failure anymore.

"Tomorrow," Natsu replied. "Noon. City square. We have to rescue them, Erza. We can't let them burn."

She sighed and looked at Jellal's face. She wasn't sure there was anything she could do. She had already failed once; she'd probably fail again. But she couldn't let two young girls burn. And if they freed Wendy she coud heal Jellal…

"Are you sure you want my help?"

Natsu grinned. "Of course. You're the strongest woman in Fairy Tail."

"Your friend is right," Porlyusica said as she grasped both of their arms and pushed them out of her treehouse. "Now get out of my damn forest." The door slammed closed and melded into the tree again.

Erza turned to Natsu as they started running toward the guild. "So what stupid plan have you all come up with that I need to salvage?"

* * *

><p>Wendy flinched as the door swung open. She couldn't help it, nothing good happened whenever that door opened, not since Juvia had escaped. She had no idea how long they had been trapped down here. How long she had been shackled to the wall, how long she had gone without a meal that filled the emptiness of her stomach completely, how long she had missed the quenching capabilities of cold water. Every time that door opened she got her hopes up that maybe, just maybe, one of her wishes would come true.<p>

They didn't.

It wasn't the usual guards that entered the cell today. These two were quieter, more serious. They didn't taunt the girls, didn't make crude jokes. They just silently walked into the cell and unlocked the manacles before taking the girls by the shoulders and leading them into the hallway.

It was nice to be out of the dark cell, but the light revealed things that Wendy didn't really want to see. The bleeding scabs on her wrists, the lack of flesh on Lucy's body, the lackluster sheen of Lucy's golden hair.

Strange, frightening sounds came from behind the doors they passed. Screams, groans, and cries of pain. Wendy wondered where they were taking her, if her voice would soon join the tortured chorus.

They were led through a door and placed in chairs. Wendy's legs gave out from beneath her as she was lowering herself to the seat; she hadn't walked a step in weeks before that day.

Once the girls were secured in the chairs the guards left the room. There was no explanation of what they were doing there, what they could expect, how long they'd have to wait for something to happen. They were just left alone, in the sterile white stone room, with each other for company.

"There should be a table," Lucy murmured at one point.

"What?" Wendy asked.

"A table. There was a table here last time. Or at least I think there was. Maybe it was a different room…" She trailed of into silence. There was nothing within the room to stimulate their minds, and these wooden chairs were much comfier than the hard stone floor. Wendy felt her head nodding forward. She couldn't help it.

"Did you talk to them?"

Wendy's head jerked up. She had fallen asleep. There was a dark haired man with a clipboard standing in front of her.

"I did," he replied to Lucy's question, "but they took a bit of convincing before they would investigate. Your friend's escape stunt didn't exactly help."

"And? Did they believe you?" Lucy was leaning forward in her seat, bracing against the restreaints.

"Eventually. They conducted a small investigation, which, in the beginning, supported your claims. There is something going on in the orphanage."

They were helping rescue the kids? Wendy couldn't believe it. She thought the Council was made up of evil, malicious human beings that murdered indiscriminately. Why would the listen to a couple of despised human beings and help poor children?

"Are they going to do anything else?" Lucy aksed, her voice cracked under the strain. "They need to do more than investigate!"

"The Council is about to conduct another investigation, this time on a larger scale. But first my superior wants to ask you some questions, just to ensure we've gathered any little clues you might be able to share."

Another man entered the room. The first thing Wendy noticed was his bright clothes. It was the livery of the Coucil, one of the higher ups. The next thing she saw was his face. And she knew that face. She would never, ever forget that face, no matter how hard she tried.

"Y-you're that man," Wendy croaked, using her voice for the fist time in days. "You're the man that shot Jellal."

He just stood there and smiled.

**End Chapter 3**

* * *

><p>And there we have it agan, folks. Thanks you all for reviewing and reading and being all supportive. I really appreciate it. I'm not entirely sure when the next chapter will be ready. We'll see what happens with my inspiration and school. Maybe a miracle will happen or something and it will be done in lightening speed! I wish.<p>

Anyway, I have to go to sleep now. I have school tomorrow :(

Also, I have absolutely no medical experience. I just made treatments up for this. Hopefully they sounded plausible. And I think I forgot to do spell check before uploading this. There may be more mistakes than normal. And I can't be bothered editing it properly now, it's getting really late. I'm sorry if there are any really bad/easily fixed mistakes in there that annoy you.

I look forward to reading your reviews when I get home! I'm going to sleep now XD

~Beczy


	4. Burn

So it's been a while... I'm sorry. I'm a horrible person.

Here's some word prompts/reminders to help you remember what happened if you can't be bothered to reread all my horrible writing (it's basically a bad summary because I write too much):

**Chapter 1:** NaLu, NaLu, NaLu. The world and Fairy Tail Academy was sort of introduced. One-shot with possibility of more. There was more XD

**Chapter 2:** Some orphanage is part of a child-slave-trafficking-ring thing D: Wendy, Erza and Jellal posed as family looking to adopt to investigate (Naw, Jerza...). They find useful information and a select group goes to confront the evil guys. BUT IT"S A TRAP! The army turns up to arrest Lucy, Wendy and Juvia. The opposing group fled the scene, leaving Jellal lying on the ground to die.

**Chapter 3 (it's BIG)**: BUT HE ISN"T DEAD! Jellal's sent off to Porlyusica to heal. Lucy is interrogated and informs the Council about the trafficking ring, with the hopes they'll do something about it. The Exceeds are find the girls in their cell and fly Juvia back to the guild after she turns herself into water to escape through the bars on the window. Levy is sent to work at the orphanage undercover and gather intel. She learns that men in colourful clothes come to visit (D: WHAT COULD THIS MEAN?). In a rush to tell the guild, she sees this newspaper clipping before the story switched to Erza, who is helping Porlyusica with Jellal. Erza has been reluctant to help the others because she's too worried about Jellal. Natsu shows up with the newspaper, revealing the planned execution of Lucy and Wendy. Erza's back on board the recue mission. And finally we skip to Wendy and Lucy in the interrogation room where they are met by one of the high Council members, who just so happend to be the man who tried to kill Jellal. SURPRISE.

And that's where it ended.

I also want to add a** _language warning_ **before this chapter (It's only in the first part and all Gajeel's fault, okay) and a** _violence warning_ f**or the last part (because I like describing gruesome things in a fair amount of detail...). I don't think it's enough to upgrade the rating to M, mainly because it's only this chapter so far. It might get worse in late chapters. We'll have to wait and see.

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Fairy Tail. Why would I be writing fanfiction for it? (Actually, if my original work ever gets published, I would definitely write fanfics for it just to tease people and mess with their minds. Mwahahaha)**

* * *

><p><strong>Burn<strong>

"You can't go down that street, flame brain. That's one of the Council's bases. Do you want to put the guild in even more danger?"

"What? Of course not! That's why we burn the place down before we go. No one will be there then."

Gajeel leant back against the wall, arms crossed against his broad chest. For the past twenty-three hours the arguments had not stopped. The guild had been attempting to construct something that resembled a concrete, foolproof plan, but holes kept pushing at the seams. It hadn't taken long for the tension to rise; it was almost palpable in the air. The lack of sleep was not helping matters.

"Boys, can't you shut your mouths?" Cana yelled. "A girl wouldn't mind having a drink in peace."

Gajeel cracked his knuckles and considered the pink haired idiot and his stripper friend. Normally he found their quibbles entertaining; he would often add fuel to the fire by contributing insults of his own. Yet these past few hours had not put him in the greatest of moods. Gajeel swung his arm, loosening his shoulder muscles. It had been a while since he had sparred with anyone; he could do with a little practice.

"Hey, boys," he called out. "Stop this little lovers' quarrel. These sorts of things should be sorted out in the bedroom."

"_What?"_ Natsu roared as he spun around, eyes narrowed. "Did you just say what I think you said?"

"That you and your private stripper there are have a lovers' spat? Yeah, I think I did."

"Why you son of a—" Natsu leapt forward, fists flaming. Gajeel grinned; this was the exact reaction he had been looking for. Iron scales melded over his body, he knew the Salamander had no intention of holding back; he'd need all the protection he could get—Levy would notice any new bruises and he didn't need any more scolding.

The ice freak yanked the fire mage's shirt, interrupting his flight. "What are you doing, idiot?" Gray snapped as he unceremoniously pulled his friend back to his feet. "Don't you know how to tell if someone's baiting you for a reaction?"

"But he said—"

"Who cares? Don't you want to rescue your girlfriend? Or would you rather see her burn? Maybe you'll ignite the pyre yourself."

Natsu grumbled under his breath and returned to the table in the middle of the room, uncharacteristically controlling himself. Gray shot Gajeel a stern look before following and pointing out something on the map as the others murmured amongst each other.

_That was fun while it lasted_, Gajeel thought as he returned to his corner. Boredom began to settle over his mind once again. There was no one else in the room he could bait, or at least anyone who'd fall for it. And Levy was still at the orphanage. He would often sit with her for hours just to listen to her talk. He had never thought books and languages could be as interesting as they were when the words fell from her mouth. Not that he'd ever admit that to her, he had a reputation to live up to.

Gajeel sighed and glanced at the clock again. Levy should be back soon, although 'soon' was never soon enough.

"You look like a lovesick little puppy staring at the clock like that." Cana took a seat close to him, heaving her keg onto the desk. It was her safety blanket of sorts; you knew important shit was going down when Cana didn't have her beer keg with her.

"Oh, don't stop because of me," she said as Gajeel glared daggers at her. "It's adorable. We don't get to see that side of you too often."

"Fuck you," Gajeel grumbled. "Why are you over here?"

"I got sick of those bastards—" Cana inclined her head, indicating the group surrounding the table "—and sought the company of another, more charming individual. You seemed to fit the bill." She unplugged the tap on the keg and lifted the barrel. Gajeel wondered how she managed to drink so much so often. The lady was tougher than she looked.

"Don't you want to rescue your friends?" he asked. She should have been helping him plan.

"Don't you?" Cana quipped. Gajeel shrugged. He wasn't sure if he could call all these people 'friends'. He was still new; in his eyes, they hadn't fully accepted him yet. Receiving the guild mark was one thing, but friendship… The concept was completely different to what it had been at Phantom. He still wasn't sure what to make of the whole thing.

"They won't settle on a plan," Cana continued. "They're knit-picking at all the little things and refusing to focus on the outcome. Which I already predicted because I am awesome," she boasted as she pulled tarot cards from her pouch. She laid three on the table and arranged them in a particular order.

"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" All Gajeel could see was the colourful, gaudy artwork that decorated them. He knew nothing about their meaning or how they were read. He just knew some combinations were good while others were bad, and that most people who did this sort of thing for money were frauds. Not Cana though, this was her magic. She would do it truthfully (although that didn't mean she never lied to make a little money on the side…).

"If you had a skill most commonly known as patience you might have realised I was about to reveal their divine meaning to you."

"Patience?" Gajeel scoffed. "Such a quality does not exist in this guild."

"Maybe not in most people, but I am one of the rare exceptions."

"Yeah, and that's why you can wait an entire day before having a drink."

"Hey, everyone has their vices. At least alcohol is normal among the general public, unlike that craving for iron you have. Now shut up and let me read the cards." She pointed to the first one and launched into a long-winded explanation of its history and meaning. This continued to the next card, and the next. Gajeel, having absolutely no interest, tuned the majority of it out. He did manage to catch important things, however.

"So basically," he said once she finished, "things are bad, are going to get a little worse, then a tonne of shit's gonna go down, but everything will be all sunshine and rainbows in the long run."

"That's a very basic and crude way of putting it, but yes."

"Then why didn't you say that in the first place?"

Cana hit the desk with the side of her fist. "You have absolutely no appreciation for different cultures and magic, do you? And you have to be rude about it. Wait until I tell Levy, young man."

"Rude? I'm not the one who constantly drinks from a keg, sits in unladylike positions, and smells like a brewery."

"Do you wanna go, dragonslayer?" Cana challenged as she pushed herself out of her seat.

Gajeel stepped away from the wall and cracked his knuckles. "If you're offering." He prepared himself as Cana reached into her pouch and pulled out an assortment of cards. She threw them to the ground. "Prayer's Fountain!"

Gajeel took a deep breath as she said it; this woman wouldn't be able to move soon. "Iron Dragon's R—"

Was that a blue head in the doorway? Gajeel cut off his attack and searched the room for her. He saw the girl in the corner, speaking to Makarov. And… were those tears?

A column of water slammed into his side. Gajeel felt himself falling, felt his head connect with the thinly carpeted concrete floor. When he next opened his eyes he was greeted by the brunette's laughing face. "I win, iron boy!"

"Only because I was distracted." Gajeel sat up and winced as he gently touched the back of his head.

"Psh," Cana flapped her hand at him. "Insignificant details. I still flogged your arse. In a single move too, that has to be a new record or something."

"It's never going to happen again." Gajeel took the hand she offered and stood. His gaze darted around the room as soon as it stopped spinning.

"Yeah, yeah." Cana pushed him gently. "You're little girlfriend's that way. Go get her to kiss your head better and repair your battered ego." Gajeel didn't see the wink Cana added as he made his way across the room. Levy was back and she was crying. Her feelings were all that mattered to him in that moment, in any moment.

He remembered the day when he first saw her in the park with Jet and Droy. He had knocked her and her friends out and strung them up in the tree, all for the sake of creating a feud between the Phantom Lord and Fairy Tail academies. Not exactly the best of starts for any relationship. He had felt so guilty harming a little blue fairy.

Levy was everything he imagined a fairy to be: small, sweet, not-so-innocent, and fierce. And she was all his. He had tamed a fairy. Barely.

Jet and Droy hated Gajeel because of it. They were standing on either side of the girl now, guarding her from the big bad world. Gajeel appreciated their devotion, but that was his job. He was her iron knight, her protector. It was a role Gajeel hoped to hold even beyond the ends of time.

He cupped her arm and pulled her into his chest, stealing her from her teammates. They glared at him but said nothing as she squirmed closer. They knew their place.

Gajeel squeezed Levy tighter and lowered his head to her ear. "What's wrong?" he asked softly. He felt some sort of reply, the shapes of jumbled words murmured against his shirt, before her shoulders started shaking. He rubbed her back, unsure what to say. He had never seen her this hysterical before. For the first time in a long time Gajeel found himself looking around for help.

"Over here," the master said as he tapped a desk beside him. "Mira's gone to fetch her a drink. Sit here while we wait."

Gajeel did as he was told, but when he tried to place her on the table she clung to his shirt. No matter how hard he tried her hands refused to loosen their grip. After a few futile attempts he gave up and sat on the desk himself, pulling Levy into his lap.

He met someone's burning eyes from across the room. Natsu. Gajeel glared back, giving the other dragonslayer a hard look until he realised there were tears in Natsu's dark eyes. They quickly looked away from each other in silent, mutual agreement. It was never to be mentioned again.

Mira appeared with a glass of water in one hand and something resembling chocolate in the other. She stood next to the couple, murmuring sweet words to Levy as she coaxed the girl's face away from Gajeel's wet shirt to eat and drink. Levy pulled away slowly and accepted the glass. Gajeel's eyes never left her tear stained face as she drank half heartedly, as if she had no motivation to undertake these mundane acts anymore. It was concerning.

A crowd had gathered around their desk. Whispers filled the room as people conspired. A few at the front called out to their nakama. Levy responded with shrugs and nods at first, eventually upgrading to low, depressed murmurs. It was then Makarov decided she was ready for harder questions.

"What are you so upset about?" he asked bluntly. "What made you call me, hysterical, half way through your shift? You almost blew your cover!"

Levy's eyes flicked down immediately, her grip tightened on the glass. It started shaking as tears began to fall again.

Gajeel glared daggers at the master. "You don't have to answer the cruel bastard if you don't want to, Levy."

She shook he head. "N-no, I—" Her pained eyes flew up to meet the old man's. "Luce and Wendy are in the Council's custody. They're—"

"To be publicly executed tomorrow," Erza finished. She was leaning against the opposite wall with her arms crossed, very much the position Gajeel has stood in earlier. "We are already aware and are presently planning a rescue." Levy gave a small smile at the sight of her old friend. The old Erza was back. Maybe they had a chance.

"That's not why you called me though, is it?" Makarov said. It was more of a statement, one that sucked the tiny piece of joy and hope Levy had just regained from her heart.

She shook her head and pushed out the words the guild didn't want to hear. "We might be out of our depth with the human trafficking situation." She heard some guild members scoff at the idea. Fairy Tail was the strongest guild in Fiore after all; they could handle anything. They had always believed that, she had always believed that. Now Levy wasn't so sure.

Makarov's reaction was different to the others'. He had seen so much of the world; he knew what human beings could be capable of. He didn't laugh at Levy's words, did not pass them of as nonsensical worries of a hysterical little girl. He frowned. "Elaborate."

"It's not being run by criminals like we thought," she gushed. Levy wanted this burden removed from her shoulders and placed on the shoulders of someone whose back was strong enough to hold it and dissolve it.

Everyone's eyes were on her, she didn't know where to look, whose eyes to watch as all hope fled from their depths. It was Gajeel's they settled on. The man had supported Levy for such a long time, she trusted him to stay by her side despite their rough beginnings. He met her eyes with just as much loyalty. Levy didn't feel afraid or hopeless as she finally uttered the dreaded words.

"It's run by the Council."

* * *

><p>"Y-you're that man," Wendy croaked, using her voice for the fist time in days. "You're the man that shot Jellal."<p>

He smiled. His blinding white teeth were sharpened to points, like fangs. It gave him the appearance of a shark, grinning before he took that final bite. "Well, it wasn't me exactly, but I did give the order."

"What are you doing here?" Lucy growled. Wendy had never seen that expression on her face before. She was almost foaming at the mouth, her nose wrinkled with the force of her anger. She resembled Natsu in a way, when he was fighting an opponent who threatened his friends.

The man chuckled and held his arms of to the side to emphasise his flamboyant clothing. "I'm simply fulfilling my duties as a Council member. You can't tell me there's something wrong with that?"

"You're supposed to protect the people of Fiore," Lucy snarled, "not sell them off to the highest bidder! How could you do that? To children no less." She was pulling against her restraints, hands clenched. Wendy was sure if the restraints buckled Lucy's hands would be around the man's throat before he could call the guards.

"My gosh, woman, make up your mind. You want to know why I'm here, then demand to know information about a top-secret mission. I can only answer so many things at a time."

"And only provide roundabout answers at that," Lucy snapped. She was wincing slightly. Wendy could see blood trickling down between her fingers.

"Lucy," she whispered. "Stop it. You're hurting yourself."

"The little girl's right, blondey." The man moved to stand in front of them. He leaned over Lucy, taunting her. His hands were clasped behind his back; his face was close to hers. She shrunk back, pressing against the chair.

"I don't condone self-harm," he muttered. "Not that it matters much. The Extermination is tomorrow."

Dread settled deep in Wendy's stomach. "What does that mean?"

"I thought Domonic had told you," he said slightly surprised. He turned to the dark haired man.

"I thought it best you deliver the news, Lord Brent," Domonic said, glancing up from the notebook. "It was your order after all."

"Fair enough," Brent said just as Lucy started screaming again.

"You were in on this? You knew he was behind the entire scheme. You led me on, you pig! You are all despicable human beings! You do not deserve to live! Mark my words; Fairy Tail will make you pay. The entire country will make you pay!" Her voice cracked on the last word, lessening the effect. She was near tears. Wendy wanted to lean over and comfort her friend, like Lucy had done for her every day for the past few weeks. But the restraints made that simple wish impossible.

"Is that all you have to say to us?" Brent asked, his amusement was clear. "I hope it is. You went on for a while there, I was worried you might lose your voice. And we can't have that. Not if I want to listen to your lyrical screams tomorrow."

As he turned Wendy noticed something. It was a small detail, nothing overtly important, but it was a horrible precursor to the dreaded events the Lord was waiting to reveal.

"Wait!" she called. There was a tiny spot of discolouration marring his otherwise unnaturally smooth face. "On your cheek… Is that a burn?"

He grinned and touched it lightly, almost stroking it lovingly. "Why yes it is. I did that this morning somehow. But it's only small, nothing like what you're going to receive tomorrow. I look forward to our next meeting, ladies. I have a little bonfire planned for the occasion. I hope you'll enjoy it just as much as I will."

They silently watched him walk out of the room. Once the door shut the only sound left was the scratching of a pen and Lucy's angry breaths. She was glaring daggers through Domonic's notebook. He ignored it at first, but the heat slowly got to him. His hand began to move in jerkier movements, the notebook started to shake. Every now and then he would glance toward them, a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Why," Lucy asked quietly, deciding to take pity on the man Wendy was sure. "Why would you do such a thing?"

He kept writing, ignoring the question. The girls waited for an answer, their eyes never leaving his face.

"Because they were my orders," Domonic replied eventually. He crossed his arms. "I had no choice."

"And you had no issues with the orders at all? It didn't strike you as _morally wrong_?"

He shrugged. "My job is to follow orders. The better I follow orders, the faster I move up the ranks. I want to be at the top, that's what counts in this game."

Lucy lost it again. She began screaming harsh words at the man, pulling hard against her restraints. Wendy never found out what words Lucy shouted in that moment, she lost her voice on the first syllable and refused to repeat them later.

After minutes of the strange attempts from the malnourished blonde girl Domonic sighed and ushered in the guards. It was time to return to the darkened cells once again.

As the guards loosened the restraints and put their arms in the cuffs, Wendy muttered three final words. She had never said anything with such intensity before, but she knew the words were true. They had to be true.

"You. Will. Pay."

* * *

><p>"… okay, Master?"<p>

"Uh-wha?" Makarov grumbled as he lifted his head. He hadn't meant to fall asleep at his desk, using the paperwork as a pillow, or not until everyone had left, at least. But his eyes must have drifted closed as his brats took their time filing out of the room on their way to soft beds and to attempt to rest.

"Are you going to be okay, Master?" Mirajane repeated. She was leaning in the doorway; Lisanna and Natsu were leaning sleepily on the wall behind her. "I've tidied up the room, you only have to lock up before you leave. Will you be able to manage that?"

Makarov nodded as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Hurry up and get yourselves home. You'll need to be fully rested for tomorrow."

The young woman bowed slightly, the light cast dark shadows under her eyes. "Yes, Master. Take care." She turned and marched down the hallway, the pair of solemn teens trudged after her. They'd had four of their siblings ripped away from them. Two had returned badly injured and barely breathing, and with each passing day it seemed more and more unlikely that the other two would ever be seen again. Even now, when an opportunity had presented itself and an extensive plan had been mapped, the situation felt hopeless. Morale in the guild was low. If their worst expectations evolved into reality, Makarov wasn't sure the guild would ever recover.

Natsu and Levy were his biggest concerns. Levy stood to lose a best friend, the rare kind you treasure for a lifetime, even if your friendship slowly dissolves over the course of time to become a simple clouded memory. Makarov had never seen Levy bond with anyone as quickly as she had with Lucy. It had taken Gajeel months to reach a level of trust that wasn't even close to what those girls had. If the worst came to be, Levy would lose her favourite confidant, her almost-twin.

And she would blame Makarov. He had ordered the group to investigate, he had told her to remain trapped in the orphanage to work in the place she detested. When they had a chance to rescue her nakama, he wouldn't let her take part in the mission and instead forced her to stay in that hellhole, tediously gathering information. Makarov didn't know if Levy would ever forgive him.

And Natsu… he would never be the same cheerful boy again. Lucy's death would shatter him into a million tiny pieces, too fractured to ever be repaired. Cracks had begun to appear in his scales soon after her arrest. Makarov desperately hoped the impulsive boy wouldn't do anything rash before tomorrow. Mira and Lisanna were watching over their friend for the night, Gray was going to help too. But this was different to any scenario they had ever experienced before. Natsu had never shown such strong feelings to anyone before, his care and devotion to the blonde girl was enough to plant the seed that he could rescue Wendy and Lucy by himself in his mind.

Makarov sighed and folded the map resting in front of him. It was covered in coloured lines and scribbled names. _Follow the plan, kids,_ he thought as he tucked the paper into his pocket. _It's the best chance we'll get. _

* * *

><p>Lucy's hands hit the rough stone as the cell door slammed shut behind her. She was pushing herself upright when Wendy's arms wrapped around her waist, so tight it seemed that nothing would ever break her hold. Lucy brought the girls head to her shoulder, thinking she needed comfort. Wendy wasn't shaking. Lucy pushed her away slightly, but the moonlight didn't hit Wendy's face at the right angle to reveal her expression.<p>

Lucy voice box worked as she tried to speak, but to no avail. Her throat was dry, sore and incapable of noise.

Wendy had no such troubles. "We're going to die." She sounded so… monotonous. It was a fact to her now, a solid, unchangeable fact. One that Lucy denied desperately, furiously shaking her head as her throat worked begrudgingly.

"No. We won't." The words barely broke the silence of the cell. "They'll come for us."

"How can you be so sure? Wouldn't they have rescued us weeks ago if they cared? I bet they forgot about us and left us to rot in here before we burn out there."

A cloud moved across the sky, freeing the moon to allow more light into the cell. Lucy could make out glistening trails snaking their way down Wendy's cheeks and the hurt, hope and fire hidden deep in the girl's dark eyes.

"You know that's not true," she told Wendy as she pulled her into a hug. "They will take their time, but they will come. I bet they're planning some brilliant spectacle, a rescue the likes of which this world has never seen."

"How can you be so sure? What if they just get arrested and burn alongside us? Or they get cold feet and realise they just can't win against the army?"

"You have to have faith, Wendy. Faith, hope and trust. It's times like these when those three things must be strong inside you or you might just lose yourself to despair. You give up and the worst inevitably comes to pass, all because you lost faith in your nakama."

Wendy looked up at the older girl, curious as to where this little speech had come from. Lucy read the question in her eyes and offered a small smile. "This isn't the first time I've been locked in a cell." Being the daughter of a successful business tycoon meant she wasn't unfamiliar with kidnappers, of both successful and unsuccessful variety. She had either been rescued or escaped from every single attempt relatively unharmed. It was a streak she would not break willingly.

Wendy shrugged when Lucy told her this; her mind was still fixated in a darker place. "Might not happen this time."

Lucy punched her lightly. "Don't lie. Deep down you know it will. Do you honestly expect Charle to let something happen to you? She'd marry Happy and give up her almighty ways before that happened. Now get some sleep." She pushed Wendy away and stood before moving to the cold metal frames adorned with a scratchy thin blanket that qualified as a bed in this place. "We need to rest for tomorrow."

"Why? Is it because when the guild finally comes to rescue us there's going to be some giant spectacle we'll need to escape."

"You know Fairy Tail, Wendy." Lucy lay down on the frame. "Would you expect any less?"

Once Wendy's breathing evened Lucy sat up again. She knew she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Her body was shaking too much, from cold or emotions she could not discern. There was rage toward the Council and their minions for their acts and their secrets. There was for Wendy's life and for her own. There was a hint of excitement at the prospect of glorious escape and freedom and a life of peace in hiding.

The greatest feeling—the one Lucy felt most guilty about—was doubt. Despite her faith in her nakama, one small part of her was asking the same pessimistic questions as Wendy. Would the guild get there in time? Would they even be successful? The longer the night wore on the greater these thoughts became until they almost consumed her entire mind. She began thinking it may be better if they didn't turn up at all, then the guild wouldn't have to witness her death. They wouldn't hear her screams or watch as her skin blister and burn.

Lucy shook the treacherous thoughts from her mind and pulled the blanket closer to her chin. _It's going to end happily_, she told the rising sun. _It will. Just get here on time, please, Natsu. I love you. I want to see you face again. You have to get there on time. Please don't disappoint me, Natsu. Please…_

* * *

><p>Natsu skulked through the shadows cast by the alley wall, out of sight of the massive crowd that filled Magnolia's main square, all pushing for positions closer to the pyre. It sickened him to see so many people acting like monsters. They wanted to see the mages die, two young girls who were going to crackle and burn. They wanted to hear the screams, see the blisters, and taste the burnt flesh.<p>

It horrified him, made him feel ashamed to be human and proud to be a magician.

_Are you in position yet?_ Warren asked. The mage was an expert in telepathy and was responsible for coordinating the entire rescue effort.

_I'm climbing the ladder_, Natsu replied as the first broken rung bit into his hand. It must have drawn some blood, his grip kept slipping, but his mind never registered the sting of pain. He was too focused on the mission, on Wendy and Lucy. It was their last chance to free the girls, and the window of opportunity was incredibly tight. If they pulled this off, they girls would be home, safe, and alive. Natsu would be able to touch Lucy again, he could hug her, smell her, touch her, kiss her. At that moment it was his driving force. He didn't want to think about what would happen after the rescue. He didn't consider the possibility of failure. Or tried not to. Lucy could die here to day, burnt alive in his own element, and, despite his best efforts, he would have to stand there and let her go. He would have to learn to live without her. The unfathomable scenario was torturous.

Natsu reassured himself as he stepped onto the rooftop. The guild would not let anything go wrong, they would get the girls out.

He walked over to the edge of the building that overlooked the square and hung his toes off the edge. The wind was stronger up here, frigid on his bare skin.

The people crammed into the large octagon below all faced the wooden structures that had been built in front of Natsu's building. He could pick out some of the undercover guild members winding their way through the crows, setting things up on the ground level. Alzack and Bisca were selling ice cream from a little stall, sowing the seeds of deadly rumour about the Council. Evergreen and Cana were dressed in bright gypsy garb, winding their way through the crowd to deliver fake fortunes. Each and every person had the same words whispered into their ears, "Today something amazing will happen, something completely unexpected. Will it be good or bad? Only the future can tell."

A bright head of blue hair drew Natsu's attention. He was surprised to see Levy huddled in one of the alleys. The master stood beside her, a stern look on his face. She was supposed to be at the orphanage, out of harm's way. Makarov must have relented to her incessant begging. Natsu glanced at Gajeel on the building across from him. The Iron Dragonslayer's face was resolute, there was no sign he had noticed his girlfriend.

Warren's voice entered his mind again. _I can see you now, Natsu._ There was a sound like shuffling paper. Warren was in one of the buildings around the square with maps and a telescope to ensure the attack began at just the right time. _Time for the final check in. The objectives should be entering the area in three minutes. No one moves until I say so. Are we clear?_

_Clear,_ Gray responded first. He was to the left of Natsu, shirt long gone.

Juvia stood on the next building over. Dark clouds presented a menacing image behind her as she replied, her voice filled with emotion. _Juvia understands._

Mira snarled, grinning over her claws. Her tail flicked as lightning flashed behind her. _The demon will claim vengeance._

_Don't hurt them too bad_, Gajeel huffed. _We need some of them left alive._

Bixlow laughed._ That would be too much of a courtesy, and more mercy than they deserve. Right, babies?_ The dolls floating around his head chimed in agreement.

_That may be true but Gajeel is correct._ Erza slammed the sword of her Purgatory armour into the rooftop. _But we can always hurt them once done with our questions._

_Children,_ Pantherlily purred, the sound was slightly deeper in his warrior form. _You are wasting precious time for mental preparation. There are still many things that could go wrong._

_No time for that now,_ Natsu murmured. They crowd near one of the alleys was beginning to part. The time had come. "WE ARE FAIRY TAIL!" he declared to the wind. "AND WE ARE INVINCABLE!"

* * *

><p>The first lungful of fresh air brought joy to Lucy as the stepped from the awful prison. Only traces of sweat and human wastes scents lingered on her clothing, overpowered by the smell of gasoline and human life that came with cities.<p>

The small sense of freedom was lost when the guards shoved her forward, making her lose her footing as she stepped over the curb. The road jarred her knees and knocked the cotton from her ears. A crowd was jeering somewhere out there, crying out for her blood. The guard grabbed her dirty collar and hauled Lucy to her feet. He did not remove his hand from her back, hovering over her bound hands. If she escaped someone would want his flesh in exchange for the hide he lost.

Stray pieces of loose gravel stabbed Lucy's bare feet as they slowly approached the crowd. They were getting louder; someone on the edges had noticed them. Lucy cast a look over her shoulder to see Wendy cowering toward her guard, holding back tears. The mob was jostling now, trying to get into a prime position to see the mages as they approached. Surely they weren't going to be led through the mess. They'd die well before the final sentence was officially passed.

"Wendy," Lucy murmured as she turned around to address the girl. Her guard jerked her back around and shoved her forward again. "No conspiring with the other mage." She glared up at him but kept moving forward. Her reassurances wouldn't have done any good anyway. The crowd had them now.

Lucy's guard moved forward to create the path ahead, shoving men, women and children out of the way. Wendy's guard followed behind, protecting their back and leaving their sides undefended.

Hands reached out to slap them, grope them, and pull their hair. Edged words floated into their ears, cutting away until all that was left inside the girls was disgust and shame. Lucy was waiting for a weapon to appear, for the pinch of pain in her side from a stab wound. Death would probably be a pleasant change from this horrid reality.

The mental blankets covering her ears smothered the crowd's voices. A few still got through, wounding Lucy more than any weapon could have. Other insignificant noises breached the wall. The barking of dogs, the gunshots of backfiring cars, the jingling of bells.

Lucy's head lifted at the soft sound. It was close and completely out of place in this thunderous environment. The jingle sounded as an arm swathed in brightly coloured cloth swung past the edge of her vision. A woman was walking along beside her, dressed in gypsy garb, the type the "fortune tellers" wore at carnivals. The bright shades of orange and blue drapes covered her body, the edge of each piece held a string of bells. Lucy looked up into gap between the pieces of the veil. A stray piece of dark brown hair had fallen between a set of dark eyes clouded by worry. The gypsy winked at her before raising her right arm slightly, her hand folded into a symbol. Her thumb and forefinger were spread and the final three fingers folded as if she were making a gun. But the gypsy's thumb pointed away from her body.

Lucy lowered her eyes and fought her face muscles as the woman melted back into the crowd.

They were nearing the stage now, a raised structure with a microphone set up in the centre, and behind it, the pyres. Two had been set up beside a gallows. The wood was stacked as high as the stage, a tall wooden pole equipped with chains and shackles rose from the centre of each.

Brent stood in front of the microphone, shushing the crowd as the mages were brought onto the stage. He delivered a propaganda speech on the horrendous actions of mages as tomatoes, cabbages, and turnips—among other distasteful things—were hurled into the air. It never ceased to amaze Lucy how primal human beings could be, and how terrible their aim.

Eventually the crowd grew tired of Brent's posturing. "Kill the witches! Kill the witches!" they chanted. Their faces twisted into masks worthy of only the most bloodthirsty demons. The people had come for blood. If they didn't get it soon, they'd riot.

Brent gave a shaky laugh. "Let's begin the executions then, shall we?" The crowd cheered and the first man was pushed toward the gallows.

One after the other a suspected mage fell to their death. Some were lucky and received a quick death as their necks snapped. Others weren't. They hung there for minutes, struggling as the rope strangled them. Lucy suspected being burned would be worse.

"I'm innocent!" the last women screamed as the hatch opened beneath her feet. She had been young, twenty at most. A swollen belly had pulled the prison dress tight over her body.

"That's what you all say," one solider laughed. "Some of you have to be lying."

There was no breath left for the woman to argue her case.

Brent turned to them as the soldiers cut the rope. "Are you ready for you little bonfire, ladies?" A thud echoed his words.

They were led to the pyres. A little platform had been set up for easy access to the middle of the pyre. As soldiers secured their hands in the new shackles, Brent read out their crimes. "These girls, rogue magicians from the underground guild Fairy Tail, have been causing us a lot of trouble the past few weeks. Their list of crimes is long: use of magic, murder, resisting arrest, being uncooperative for the duration of imprisonment, and treason. For these abhorrent acts, we, the Council of Fiore, have declared these girls worthy of death by fire."

Brent walked down the centre platform as the crowd roared. He tossed a box of matched from hand to hand, a smug grin on his face. "Any last words, ladies?"

"This isn't over," Lucy snarled.

"You will experience Fairy Tail's wrath. You will pay!" Lucy was shocked at the viciousness in the frail girl's voice. Wendy didn't seem so drained now, the fire was returning to her eyes as she breathed deliberately through her mouth, sucking in as much air as possible. The fresh air must have been doing the sky dragonslayer some good.

"We'll see about that, miss. In the meantime," Brent snapped a ring off his belt and draped it over Lucy's wrist. "I think you might want these back. I certainly have no use for them. Don't forget to scream for me, dears. Nice and loudly." He stepped back and lit the match. Except he didn't. He made the swiping motion required, but snapped his fingers at the same time. A spark appeared briefly above his thumb before leaping onto the pyres.

The wood caught quickly. The flames leapt above Lucy's head as she screamed curses at the man through the burning wall. He knew she was too weak to use her keys; she wasn't strong enough to call any spirits to her. Lucy was going to die here. There was no way out.

It didn't take long for the heat to become unbearable. Lucy could feel the moisture leaving her skin; first it left her feet, then her legs, then her entire body. She felt like she was burning, but the flames hadn't made contact with her skin too much yet. She could feel burns on her feet and arms, the little stings as embers burnt through her clothes. Soon enough they would be caught in the inferno.

Lucy had never wished more for the cooling breezes of winter, the freezing drops of rain. She needed something to sooth her skin, to make the heat go away. It felt like all the liquid insider her was boiling, burning her on the inside as well as the outside. She wanted to scream, maybe that would make the fire go away. _No,_ she told herself. _I can't give him the satisfaction_. Who? She couldn't remember.

Moaning was the only release she allowed herself. Long, grievous moans for her death, Wendy's death, everyone's death. Release would come soon she was sure, and it would be a relief.

She looked out through the orange curtain one final time. That man was there, smiling. The crowd was smiling. Everyone was smiling, their grins as wide as a clowns. They were happy she was dying. Lucy thought she was too.

An ember landed between her eyes as she whispered goodbye. Then the world went black and the heat finally disappeared.

But the noise didn't.

Lucy opened her eyes. The crowd was still there, but they were angry now, shouting curses as a furious Brent shouted orders. If this was Lucy's Heaven it had to be some kind of joke.

Soldiers began running toward the pyre. The platforms had been removed, so they had to scramble from the base. The burnt wood snapped under their collective weight, sending them to the ground again and again. The back of a man in a black vest partially blocked Lucy's view of the scene. But she could see enough to make her heart soar with hope.

All the flames were being pulled toward the man's pink head as if attracted by some magnetic force. The man's belly had extended to abnormal boundaries to consume the entire meal.

The soldiers were still scrambling at the base when Natsu straightened and wiped his mouth. "Are you boys ready for a fight?" he asked with a smirk. "Because I'm all fired up!"

That's when it started raining fairies.

**End Chapter 4**

* * *

><p>I think that was a horribly written chapter that I should have finished months ago, like I promised multiple time. I underestimated how much work I was going to get from school... Thanks for being patient, dear readers.<p>

I don't know when chapter 5 will be up. This term is REALLY IMPORTANT and has a part in determining what I end up studying next year. I'll try my best to fit in writing between my reading and homework. It probably won't be up until after I update my crossover.

Anyway, I hope this chapter was tolerable and that you might have enjoyed it. There were probably a few obvious mistakes my sister and I missed. Hopefully they didn't distract you to much.

Until next time, I hope you enjoy whatever you're doing right now XD

~Beczy


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